Against all odds
by LabradoriteHeart
Summary: A bond is slowly forming between two of the Strawhat crew members, and it seems like it's something more than just friendship. Robin and Zoro are forced to face their feelings, and Nami has made it her mission to ensure that the they end up together.
1. Chapter 1: Making the bet

It was a normal day aboard the Thousand Sunny, and the Strawhat crew were going about their regular daily business. Especially the captain, Luffy, who was sneaking into the kitchen to no doubt try to steal some food that Sanji hadn't managed to hide in time, like usual.

When he entered the room, he spotted a sundae on the counter, and he began to drool as he made a beeline towards the delicious looking dessert that had been left unguarded. However, just before he could take the sundae that was almost within his reach, a hand grabbed him from behind and began pulling him backwards and away from the food.

"Sanji! I'M SORRY! It just looks so good, I couldn't resist it! Please don't be angry!" Luffy apologised frantically as he cowered, but he realised that it wasn't Sanji that had grabbed him. It was someone far, far scarier than the ship's cook.

Nami grinned as Luffy tried to escape from her grasp.

He almost wished it was Sanji that had found him.

"Firstly, that's my sundae you're trying to take." She pointed out, and Luffy dropped his head in defeat, prepared for the beating he'd probably receive. "Secondly, I have a proposition for you."

He looked up, confused but also still on guard. "Propo-what? Is it food? Can I eat it?"

"What? No. Jeez you're an idiot." Nami sighed.

She knew it was a bad idea asking Luffy of all people for help.

"I mean, I have a deal for you." She clarified. "Look, I'll make this simple for you, m'kay? You know I'm always up for a little wager, especially when there's money involved. I made a bet with Usopp for a whole lot of cash. I said that I'm sure Zoro and Robin secretly like each other, but their problem is simple; he's too stupid and stubborn, so he won't confess to her, and Robin is too afraid of rejection to confess to him, so they end up stuck in a situation where neither of them are willing to be the first person to tell the other how they feel." She explained, then continued after she noticed her captain was still following what she was saying.

"That's my theory, but Usopp's certain I'm wrong; he said there was no way they would feel that way about each other, and he said he's even willing to part with a few thousand beli if he's wrong, but I know there's something going on. Call it a girl's intuition."

She had determination on her face, but for the wrong reasons. She didn't want to be right about their feelings for the sake of getting the two of them together, she only cared if she was right because there was money on the line.

Now that Nami had finished, it was Luffy's turn to respond. He gave her a sceptical look. "You're crazy, there's no way that Zoro would like anyone. And Robin wouldn't like Zoro either, he's too boring, and stupid." He stated matter-of-factly and Nami rolled her eyes. Like Luffy would know anything at all about relationships or the complexity of emotions.

"Besides, even if you are right about those two, what does this have to do with me anyway?" He asked.

Nami gave a sly smile. "You want my dessert, right?" She held it out in front of him. "You can have it, _if_ you agree to try and get info out of Zoro." She bribed. "If you do manage to get the information I need, and you help me win the bet, then I'll make sure you get the sundae _and_ unlimited access to the fridge."

All Luffy could think about was what was in the fridge. Sanji never let him near it anymore, and he had gone so far as to put a lock on it so that Luffy couldn't help himself to its contents when he wasn't looking.

Unlimited access meant that he could eat everything in there on a daily basis and Sanji wouldn't be able to stop him.

"Deal." Luffy said immediately, reaching for the sundae. He didn't even have to think about his answer. "But how?"

Nami shrugged, letting him take the dessert. "You figure it out. I'm going to do the same for Robin, so Zoro's your problem. Now, please don't screw it up; I've got a lot on the line here."

"No problem!" Luffy replied as he began spooning the ice cream into his mouth. "You can count on me!"

"Yeah, whatever you say." She sighed. She highly doubted that she could, but she had stuff to do so she had to put her faith in him whether she liked it or not.

There was no reply from the captain as he continued to shovel food into his mouth, so Nami, having finished what she had came in to do, walked out of the kitchen leaving Luffy alone with the sundae in his possession.

Zoro was in his training room doing sit-ups. He was completely focused on his exercises, so much so that he didn't notice the raven-haired woman that had made her way into the room and was now sat on the bench opposite him with an open book in her lap.

It took a couple more seconds for him to even realise that she was there, and when his concentration subsided, he looked up and his eyes met with hers. She smiled sweetly at him, but didn't say anything as to not distract him any further from his training.

Upon seeing her genuine smile and realising she had been there for longer than he had been aware of, his face flushed red and he averted his eyes, continuing with his sit-ups as if nothing had happened.

After a few more reps, his blush had died down enough that he was able to turn his attention towards her again, but he didn't stop with his exercises.

"When did you come in?" He asked, looking at her but also focusing on maintaining a rhythm with his movements.

"Not too long ago, I've only been here for a couple of minutes." Robin replied. "If I'm getting in your way or disrupting you I can leave, just let me know if I am." She offered, and Zoro sat up straight.

"No, it's okay, you're fine to stay here. I just never noticed you come in, that's all." He replied. "You're free to sit in here if you'd like. But, why? It's not that I don't want you in here, but I'd assumed you'd rather be out in the sun with the rest of the crew than stuck in a stuffy, sweaty training room with me."

She giggled. "Not at all; I just thought I'd find it easier to focus on my book if I was sat up here. Plus, I guessed it could be interesting to see what you get up to in here." She teased. It wouldn't be Robin without some kind of flirty remark here and there.

Of course, Zoro didn't mind that, although he hated the fact he blushed so easily whenever she said anything remotely flirtatious towards him. And it wasn't just his cheeks; his whole body turned a deep shade of pink at her comment.

She giggled again at his lack of response and his embarrassed demeanour. "Don't worry, I'll just be reading, you can forget I'm even here."

He raised an eyebrow questioningly, but shrugged it off. If she wanted to stay in here with him then he had no problem with that. He didn't dislike her company after all, he actually kind of liked being around her. She was strange, but a good kind of strange. He got back to his training regime and began doing push-ups while Robin got comfortable and started reading again.

Although they were sat in silence, it wasn't awkward. He was absorbed in his training and she was absorbed in her book, but the two were happy to be in each other's company despite the lack of conversation.

As soon as Nami left the kitchen, she entered spy mode.

In her quest to catch Robin and Zoro together, she made her way to the other side of the ship, watching as Robin entered Zoro's training room. She needed proof that her theory was correct, but she knew that'd be difficult. The only real proof she would be able to use would be a confession from both of them.

"Jeez, I am in way over my head. This was a stupid bet." She sighed, but then the thought of money gave her strength and she put any doubts she had aside. She wasn't going to give up that easily.

"I'll find a way." She muttered to herself. "I'll get a confession out of the two of them if it kills me!"

She made her way up to the training room and poked her head through the window, being careful not to make herself overly noticeable as she observed the two of them.

Zoro had finished training now, and was wiping himself down with a towel while Robin finished her book and put it down beside her.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, a hint of curiosity coming from the swordsman. "What is so interesting about those anyway? I always see you reading, what's the appeal?"

Robin smiled, glad that he'd asked her. "Reading is a good way to immerse yourself into a new and exciting world. It forces you to change your way of thinking a lot of the time; it makes you see things from a different perspective." She explained. She saw the look of doubt on his face and giggled. "I know, it sounds strange, but I promise you, you'll see what I mean if you give it a go."

"Maybe I'll give it a try, at some point." He hedged. He wanted to know more about her interests, but books seemed so boring, and if the book she chose for him was a complicated one he'd just look stupid not knowing what all the big words meant.

"Well, if you're ever curious, I can pick one out for you." She offered, before looking out the window and noticing that the rest of the crew – minus her, Zoro and of course Nami who was still spying on them – were gathering in the kitchen for dinner.

"We should probably go get something to eat, before there's nothing left." She pointed out as she looked up at the swordsman in front of her. He nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, let's go." He replied as he threw on his green coat and made his way towards the door.

"Thank you, for keeping me company." She uttered, and he stopped in his tracks.

 _'Shit'_ , he thought to himself. The blush was back again. He didn't turn to face her in case she made fun of him for blushing, but he nodded in response.

"Don't mention it, thank you for the same I guess." He replied, before the two of them left the room and made their way down to the kitchen.

When Nami noticed they were leaving, she jumped down and hid behind the orange trees. She couldn't let them find out she'd been spying on them, but she felt smug nevertheless. She hadn't expected much to happen during that encounter, but she could tell that there was at least a little bit of chemistry between them from the way they acted around each other.

Once they had shut the door to the training room behind them and began to head down to the kitchen, she made her way down too, being careful not to let them notice her.


	2. Chapter 2: Let's dance

Everyone joined in the dining room for dinner, and ever since Nami had arrived she'd been studying Robin and Zoro's interactions.

The way he looked at her when he thought that no one else was watching, the way she spoke to him differently than she did to everyone else; Nami was trying to pick up on the smallest things that could hint to her being right about them.

It must have been obvious that something was not right with Nami, as the crew turned their attention towards the preoccupied navigator.

Sanji, who was showing the most concern, was the first to speak up about her weird behaviour.

"Nami, is everything okay? It seems like something's on your mind." He asked, and she panicked, taken off guard by his concern.

"E-Eh? Everything's fine!" She stuttered. She suddenly remembered that only Usopp and Luffy knew about the bet, so to everyone else she was just acting weird and out of character.

Robin nodded in agreement. "Sanji's right, you're surprisingly quiet today. Did something happen?"

"It's nothing! I just spaced out, that's all. I'm probably just tired or something." She defended as she turned back to her food, then looked towards the chef beside her after a few seconds, eager to change the subject.

"Thank you for the meal Sanji! It's delicious!" She chimed as she continued eating, and the remaining crewmembers didn't pry any further.

Once they had all finished their meals, Franky and Brook suggested having a party before they reached the next island, and they soon forgot all about Nami's strange behaviour once the music and alcohol began flowing.

Brook went to go get his guitar while Zoro got up out of his seat and walked over to the store room where they kept the liquor. He grabbed a keg of sake and a poured out a glass of wine, knowing that Robin much preferred to drink that, before making his way back over to the table.

As the skeleton began to play one of the songs that he had written during his two-year stay at Namakura Island, Zoro shared out the sake between everyone.

He then took a seat beside Robin, offering her the wine which she took gratefully, and Chopper, Usopp, Franky, and Luffy got up to dance.

The evening was an enjoyable one, and Nami even let herself forget about the bet temporarily so that she could join in with the rest of the crew and enjoy herself. Sanji noticed that Nami seemed a lot more relaxed now, and he followed her like a lost puppy, begging her to dance with him.

Robin observed them happily, finding delight in just watching the crew dance and sing together. It made her happy, seeing them all act so lively and merry.

Zoro was also avoiding getting directly involved in the festivities, and was still sat beside the archaeologist with a stein of sake in his hand. Much like her, he also preferred to stay out of it and just drink instead.

The two were sat together comfortably, enjoying each other's company until the group of jolly pirates turned towards them with their sights set on Robin.

"Robin! Come dance with us?" Chopper called excitedly, and she chuckled, handing her glass to Zoro.

"How can I say no when you asked so nicely?" She replied, walking over to the group who had by now filled up the entire kitchen with their dancing.

Zoro watched her as she approached the others, and he let a small smile slip when he saw her enjoying herself and dancing with Chopper. He was glad that she felt as though she fit in as part of the crew now, and seeing her so relaxed made him happy.

He didn't even notice that it was showing on his face until Sanji confronted him.

"Oi. Idiot Moss-head. What are you grinning about over there? It's creepy."

"I'm just laughing at your terrible dancing and poor attempts at trying to impress the girls." Zoro retorted back, and Sanji scowled, not amused by his reply.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you do better!" Sanji called back.

Zoro thought about whether or not to take the bait. On one hand, he could probably show him up big time and embarrass him in front of everyone. But on the other hand, he really didn't like dancing…

Noticing his dilemma, Robin chimed in.

"I'll dance with you, Zoro." She offered, giving him a playful smile.

His entire face turned red in response to her comment, and he focused his attention on his sake to distract himself.

"Robinnn..." Sanji whined, hurt that her invitation was only aimed towards Zoro and not him.

"I'll pass." Zoro muttered, finishing off his drink and pouring himself a new one. He wanted to – well, kind of. Not the dancing part but more the being with Robin part – but he was not going to embarrass himself like that.

"I'll dance with you!" Sanji interjected, grinning smugly at the fact Zoro turned down the offer. "I'll show you how a real man dances."

Robin smiled kindly as Sanji took her hand, too polite to turn him down, and the two began to dance along to Brook's music.

"Fucking perverted cook." Zoro snarled to himself, jealousy filling him as he watched Sanji dancing with Robin. He was about to interrupt them, but before he could, Robin apologised to Sanji and excused herself, leaving the kitchen.

"See?" Zoro called out to him. "Your perviness scared her off. No wonder she asked me and not you."

"Oh yeah? Well at least I had the balls to dance with her! You rejected her, you poor excuse for a man!" Sanji shot back.

Before the two could start fighting, Nami decided to defuse the situation, and asked Sanji to dance with her instead.

The chef immediately beamed with excitement and immediately turned his attention away from Zoro, who stayed at the table, drinking.

It had been a few minutes since Robin had left the room, and Zoro grabbed his sake, deciding to head outside for a little while just to get away from things.

He began to make his way up to the crow's nest when he noticed Robin had already beaten him to it. She was sat there, glass of wine in hand, looking up at the stars.

"Zoro?" She asked inquisitively as he sat down beside her. "How come you're not down there?"

"That damn shithead cook was getting on my nerves. Besides, I could ask you the same thing." He responded. "How come you left?"

Robin took another sip of wine. "I just wanted some fresh air and a short break from all of the excitement. I'll be heading back down shortly." She replied, and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I know what you mean about needing a break… Hey, I'm sorry I said no to dancing with you." He apologised, looking down into his glass.

"Hmm? That's okay, you really don't need to apologise. I'm not that big of a dancer either so I can't blame you; I just offered because Sanji was teasing you, so I thought it'd be amusing if you had shown him up by dancing with me." She assured him with a small smile, not wanting him to feel bad for turning her down.

"That's the only reason?" He asked quietly, in a barely audible voice.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Robin asked in return, confused by his utterance.

"N-Nothing, it doesn't matter." He replied. "But I wanted to apologise anyway. After all, because of that you were stuck dancing with him."

Robin giggled at the venom in his tone. "Don't worry about it. Hey, if you feel that bad about it, you can pour me another glass of wine when we go back inside to make up for it." She offered, and he snickered.

"Yeah, sure." He replied, smiling.

They finished off their drinks together, enjoying each other's company and the coolness of the night air before eventually deciding to head back down to the kitchen.

Nami's eyes lit up as the two of them walked back inside together, but when Sanji saw them side by side, he scowled and got up to confront the green haired swordsman.

"Moss-head!" He yelled. "You better not have taken advantage of precious Robin's kindness!"

Zoro glared in annoyance. "What the hell are you talking about now, you shitty cook? The only one who doesn't understand a woman's boundaries here is you."

"Hey guys, calm down." Nami interrupted. She turned to the chef, who was clearly seething with anger. "Sanji, I'm sure they just got caught up talking after going the toilet or something, no big deal." She reassured him, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. Plus, the alcohol in her system didn't help her ability to mask her happiness either.

Usopp noticed the look on Nami's face and shook his head.

"You guys are reading into things too much." The sniper replied, and Chopper gave a confused look.

"Why what's going on?" He asked, looking up at Usopp.

"We'll tell you when you're older Chopper." Nami said, patting him on the head. Chopper nodded contently and went back to drinking his glass of juice, satisfied with the answer he'd been given.

"We're right here you know?" Zoro interrupted, and Nami laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah, don't be so serious about it, we're just joking." Nami insisted. "Anyway, back to dancing!" She cheered as she tried to change the subject as quickly as possible, and Sanji and Chopper followed her eagerly.

As everyone returned to their activities, Zoro and Robin made their way into the storage room at the back of the kitchen.

"Jeez, what's with that lot?" He asked her as they began their search for more drinks.

She smirked as she followed him. "I guess they think there's something going on between us."

Zoro's whole body turned pink, and he almost dropped the glasses that he was holding. "P-Pfft." He chuffed. "Idiot's. Where did they get that idea?"

Robin noticed the embarrassment in his tone and giggled happily. She decided to tease the already flustered swordsman further. "Well, if they have the wrong idea then why are you blushing?"

"I-It's the sake. And the heat. It's boiling in here!" He replied defensively.

"Sure, if you say so... I believe you." She shot back as he poured her drink.

He couldn't stop blushing, no matter how much he tried to calm down. 'That damn woman and her constant teasing' he thought to himself. She knew how to get to him and he had no way to get her back.

He chose not to protest anymore, for fear of slipping up and making himself look stupid, so he stayed quiet as he finished pouring the two drinks, handing one to her as they made their way back to the others.


	3. Chapter 3: A late night talk

Eventually everyone began to feel tired, and they each decided to call it a night as they made their way back to their sleeping quarters. Zoro had almost fallen asleep once already, though Robin was fine as she was naturally a night owl.

As they all made their way back to their rooms, Nami made eye contact with Luffy and motioned towards Zoro. He looked confused at first but eventually caught on to what the navigator was trying to tell him.

"Right!" Luffy exclaimed, and nodded to her before rushing off ahead, following the rest of the guys to their cabin.

Nami had her doubts over whether or not Luffy would be able to pull it off, but she had her own prying to do. After ensuring that the captain was on the right tracks, she rushed to catch up with Robin, who was heading up the stairs.

After catching up with Robin, the two women made their way to their room, and as they entered Nami decided to chance it. She sat on the bed and began getting into her night clothes as she turned to the archaeologist beside her.

"Hey Robin? I've been wondering… If you had to pick one, who out of the crew do you think would be boyfriend material? I'm curious about what you think."

"Is that the alcohol talking?" Robin asked with a scoff.

Nami laughed. "Yeah, yeah! That's it…!"

Robin raised an eyebrow, confused about the question, but she decided to answer her anyway.

"Well, Luffy is funny and reliable, but I don't think anyone would be able to have anything other than a brotherly relationship with him, or at least I couldn't see myself being able to anyway. Sanji, he comes on a bit too strong for my taste but I know he means well, he's just not my type. Usopp, well he's someone I enjoy having a laugh with, and he's got some interesting stories but, I don't think he's someone that's, as you say, _boyfriend material_. At least for me. Franky is awesome and he's fun to be around, but I'm not really into the whole metal thing he has going on and I don't think we have the right chemistry for me to be romantically involved with him. And Brook, well, he's lovely but I like my men alive." She explained as she finished getting dressed into her nightgown.

"I can't help but notice that you are forgetting somebody."

"I am?" Robin asked nonchalantly, as if she hadn't realised. "I was sure I mentioned everyone…" As if to prove her point she began counting crewmembers on her fingers. "Well Chopper doesn't count, and if you're referring to yourself, I didn't think you wanted me to include you, after all you did say _boyfriend_ material-"

Nami sighed in annoyance. "Not me! Zoro. What about him?" She pushed. She needed an answer and wasn't in the mood for Robin's games.

"Well, I don't think he _wouldn't_ be boyfriend material…" She hedged, and Nami grinned at her change of tone. She was finally getting somewhere with this. "I mean, he's attractive. Very attractive…" She started, and Nami listened. Robin's whole demeanour began to change, from confident and jokey to sincere. "And, he's fun to embarrass. He gets all flustered and defensive about it, and it's really quite adorable."

"Go on?" Nami encouraged.

"Plus, he's nice to talk to. He's not too full on, and we are both people who like to do our own things from time to time. I enjoy his company." She thought back to all the times he'd saved her; from Enel, Aokiji, Hyouzuu, Monet, Pica... The list was almost endless. "And he's someone I feel safe around."

Nami couldn't believe how easy it was to get Robin to open up about her feelings. It made sense that she would open up to her, as she was the only other girl on the ship and they had something akin to a sisterly bond. But still, it surprised Nami to see Robin this vulnerable with her emotions.

"So, I guess to answer your question, if I had to choose someone it'd be Zoro." Robin replied. "Though, what a weird question that was. What about you Nami? Who do you have in mind?"

Nami panicked. She hadn't thought of the possibility that Robin would ask her for her response in return. She wasn't ready to answer such a question out of the blue. "U-Urm, I haven't really thought it through yet… But thanks for answering me anyway." Nami replied, getting into bed. "Goodnight!"

Robin smiled. She wondered why Nami cared so much all of a sudden about her love life. But she shrugged it off for now. She was sure she'd find out in time. "Alright, goodnight Nami." She replied, and turned off the light in their room before getting into bed.

Luffy on the other hand, was a lot more direct in his approach. Zoro had just drifted off to sleep when Luffy prodded him, waking him up.

"Psst, Zoro…" He whispered, and Zoro groaned.

"What? What do you want?" He sighed as he rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn.

"What do you think of Robin?" Luffy asked without missing a beat. Zoro squinted at him.

"The hell you asking me that for? What do you mean?" Zoro responded.

"I mean exactly what I asked; What do you think of her?"

Zoro was clearly on guard, unsure of why Luffy was even interested in his thoughts about Robin. The captain was the last person Zoro would have expected to have this kind of conversation with. "In what way?"

Luffy shrugged. "In any way."

Zoro hesitated for a second, then sighed. "She's a good fighter I guess… And smart."

"Is that it?" Luffy raised an eyebrow. "That's boring! Don't you think she's kind, or pretty, or interesting. Or anything along those lines?"

"I mean, I guess I do think she's attractive, yeah. And nice to be around…" He hedged. Why was Luffy asking him all of these questions?

"Well, what do you like about her?" Luffy demanded.

Zoro sighed and thought for a second. He liked a lot about her. Her flirty attitude and her maturity were aspects of her personality he was drawn to, her smile always made him happy and her laugh was adorable. Her hair, eyes, face and figure were all beautiful, and in truth he couldn't think of a single thing that he didn't like about her.

"A few things I guess, I don't know, I've never thought about it. Why are you asking me this anyway? Look, I'm tired, let me go to sleep please." Zoro begged, but Luffy wasn't going to allow it. His unlimited food was on the line. Just as Zoro let his head hit the pillow, Luffy continued his interrogation.

"Hey Zoro." Luffy called again, and Zoro clenched his jaw in annoyance.

" _What?!_ " He hissed.

"Do you think she'd make a good girlfriend?"

"Eh? For who? I don't know, it depends I guess." Zoro replied warily.

Luffy knew how to get to Zoro, and he replied smugly. "Sanji?"

Zoro growled impulsively at the thought. "No way in hell. She's far too good for that pervert. All he deserves is a punch in the face, which I would happily provide him with."

Luffy chuckled. His plan had worked. "Well, what about Franky?" He asked.

Zoro shook his head. "Nah I don't see it. I don't think it'd work out."

Luffy had one more suggestion. "You?"

Zoro paused. What the hell was he meant to say to that? _Yes?_ He couldn't just say that. He rolled onto his side. "I'm going to sleep, good night Luffy."

"But you didn't answer my-"

"Good. Night. Luffy."


	4. Chapter 4: Hard to concentrate

The next morning Zoro was the first one to get up, which was very unusual.

He hadn't slept well, and he'd been awake since early hours thinking about what Luffy had asked him the night before. He was trying to figure out a reason for why the captain would have any interest at all in who he had feelings for, and why he was asking questions about it all of a sudden.

It also didn't help that he couldn't get a certain someone out of his mind. Every time he tried to relax or focus on doing something, his thoughts filled with her.

He decided to get a bath while everyone else was still asleep, so he grabbed his stuff and made his way to the unoccupied washroom.

He waited for the water to run warm and undressed, then once the bath was almost full he submerged himself in the body of water. The steamy air and hot bath helped to relax his tense muscles as he closed his eyes, letting himself drift into a feeling of calmness.

Just as he started to unwind, Robin's smiling face filled his mind again, jolting him out of his relaxation. He sighed loudly in annoyance. "Damn it Robin, leave me alone for 5 minutes." He muttered to himself as he ducked his head under the water, but a sudden voice startled him, making him surface.

"What has Robin done?" Brook asked as he came in, a towel wrapped around his nether regions. Zoro raised his eyebrow at the need for a towel on the skeleton, but he had learned at this point not to question anything about the logic behind Brook.

"Nothing, it's not important." Zoro replied, trying to brush it off. Brook Laughed in response.

"If you say so, though the two of you have both been acting strange lately."

"Strange?!" Zoro choked. "What do you mean?"

Brook laughed again, longer this time. "Maybe I'm just looking too much into things… Don't worry about it."

Before Zoro could press him any further, the door opened and Sanji, Franky, Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper all came in, making a whole lot of noise.

And with that, Zoro's short lived moment of peace was well and truly over. He sighed in annoyance and grabbed a towel from the pile beside him.

While the guys were all busy in the bathroom, Robin took the opportunity to tend to the flowers on the main deck. It was peaceful and quiet – a rare thing onboard the Thousand Sunny. She enjoyed the excitement of being part of the never-boring Strawhat crew, but sometimes a moment to herself was something she treasured.

Just as she finished the last row of flowers, she heard the door behind her open, and she looked over to see Zoro coming out of the room with a pair of shorts on and a towel around his neck. He had a look of irritation on his face.

"What's with the scowl?" Robin asked, setting down the watering can. He groaned and shook his head.

"So much for being able to have a peaceful bath. I swear they know the best times to annoy me." He muttered, sitting down on the bench.

She giggled and took a seat beside him. "I take it they didn't go in there to relax then?" She guessed, and he shook his head.

"I don't think Luffy knows the meaning of 'relax', or any of the others for that matter." He added and she nodded in agreement, chuckling.

"Yeah I've noticed that. Calm isn't exactly the first word I'd choose to describe any of them." She agreed. "Well, if you want to get away from the rowdy bunch, how about we spend some time together? You can help me organise some of my books in the library if you'd like? I need to clear out the old ones or I won't have room for any of the new books I really want." She offered, fully expecting him to say no. She knew that helping her tidy up wasn't exactly the most exciting activity he could be doing.

But to her surprise, he shrugged and then nodded.

"Yeah sure, it gives me something to do." He answered, getting up. "But they all look the same to me, so you'll have to tell me which ones are good, and which aren't. I can't tell one apart from the others."

She looked up and smiled at him, thankful for him wanting to help her out. "Of course, and you never know, there might be one you want to keep for yourself. If there is, you're free to take whatever one you'd like." She offered, the smile still on her face.

He blushed. "Yeah well, I doubt it… But let's go anyway. I'm just happy to get away from the guys for a bit." Zoro replied, trying not to seem too interested.

Robin chuckled at his sour demeanour as she got up out of her seat, and Zoro followed her as they made their way to the library.

Back in the bath room, the guys decided to bring up the elephant in the room.

"Anyone else here wondering what the hell is going on between Zoro and Robin?" Franky asked, and Brook nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I've noticed a change in the atmosphere around them too." Brook added. "It's like there's some unspoken thing going on between them. Maybe even some kind of romance."

Usopp looked at them and shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing guys, really-" He began, but Luffy couldn't hold his tongue.

"Nami thinks they like each other!" He blurted out and Usopp sighed.

"Yeah but I'm sure she's exaggerating, you know what she's like."

Franky shrugged. "I don't know, the two have been pretty cosy recently, maybe there is something going on between them. And, I mean, I don't think it's that farfetched when you think about it, after all I think they'd make an interesting couple."

"Zoro and Robin like each other?!" Chopper beamed happily as he picked up on the conversation. He already saw them like parental figures anyway, so to him it was great news.

Everyone apart from Sanji and Usopp began speculating about who they thought would be the first one out of the two of them to confess their feelings, and Franky decided to turn it into a game.

"Hey! Let's all place our bets on who we think'll be the first to cave!" Franky suggested. "My money is on Zoro. Robin is pretty good at hiding her emotions, whereas Zoro just gets all defensive. It's a lot more obvious with him, so he'll probably just come out and say it to her."

"Well I think Robin will! She knows Zoro is stubborn, so she'll take the initiative!" Chopper claimed.

Luffy grinned. "Me too! I think Robin will!" He had changed his mind now and was all for getting the two together as long as it ended with him getting unlimited food.

Brook shook his head. "I agree with Franky – as soon as Zoro gets jealous or drunk he's sure to be the one to spill. I don't think he's good at hiding things, so I think he'll tell her by accident or something."

"Wait a minute. You're all guessing who will confess, but what if you're all wrong and nothing happens?" Sanji interrupted, teeth clenched in annoyance at the thought of Zoro getting a girlfriend before him. If Zoro got into a relationship, he'd never hear the end of it. And he was not getting shown up by _him_ of all people.

Usopp nodded. "I'm with Sanji on this one. No point making a bet about something that isn't even going to happen."

Franky shrugged. "Then you two don't need to, it's completely up to you if you decide to take part or not." He noticed the annoyed expressions on both of their faces and snickered. "Come on guys, don't get so wound up about it, it's just a bit of harmless fun!"

Luffy and Chopper nodded in agreement, and Usopp sighed.

"Fine, do whatever you want, but me and Sanji refuse to take part in these silly games."

"Suit yourself." Luffy shrugged, before turning back to the others as they began talking among themselves about how much they'd put in the betting pool.

Zoro followed close behind as Robin entered the library. He never really had a reason to go in there before, so when he saw just how many books there were, and how many of them were actually Robin's, he was taken aback.

She gave a small smile as he looked at her collection of books, a smile that seemed to be part pride and part embarrassment. "This is the wall with all my books on…" She admitted, gesturing to one section of the room. There must have been at least a thousand volumes in total across the masses of shelves, maybe more.

"Wow, and you've read them all?" He asked, shocked that anyone could take in so much information.

"Most of them, there's still a few that I need to finish." She responded. "It's not all the same stuff either, some of them are fiction, and some of them are non-fiction."

He raised an eyebrow at the terminology he was not familiar with.

She realised that he probably didn't understand the difference in genres, so she clarified. "Some of them are made up, like fairy tales. I enjoy them because they show you a whole new world, like fantasy and drama stories. Others are factual and based on real life events, like history books and biographies – stories written by someone about their life." She explained, and he listened curiously.

She noticed that she was talking a lot and she gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry if it's boring you, I know you're not really much into reading, and I do rant on about things sometimes. Here, I'll show you the books that I need to sort out."

Before Zoro could respond by telling her that he actually liked hearing about her hobbies, she had already brought out a huge stack of books from the shelf. He was amazed that she could carry so many of them with so little difficulty, but then again, he knew that she wasn't a weak woman. Nevertheless, he decided to help her anyway, and took a few of the books from her.

"So what ones are you getting rid of?" He asked, and she paused for a moment to think.

"Well, I think I should probably get rid of some of my older volumes; the ones I've read many times over… And Chopper asked if he could borrow some of my history books on ancient medical practices, so I'll probably just give them to him to keep if he wants them."

Zoro nodded, and as he listened to her he curiously began to flick through some of the books himself. He saw one about the history of the Wano Kingdom and picked it up.

Robin noticed his interest in the particular book and smiled. "I think you'd find that one interesting, I learnt a lot about the culture and practices of the Samurai through reading that…"

"I mean, I could give it a try I guess." He suggested, turning to face her. "If you don't mind that is…"

"Of course not." She said happily. "I'd be happy to give it to you."

"Thanks…" Zoro said, blushing slightly. "I'll be sure to let you know what I think of it."

After Zoro put aside the book for himself and the ones that Chopper had been wanting, the two began sorting through the rest of the books, putting them into piles that would either be kept or donated to a book store. After they had finished, there was a considerable amount of space on her shelf.

Robin gave a happy sigh. "Now I don't have to worry about buying new ones. There's a few I've been looking forward to getting but I didn't want to clutter up the place, so I've left it."

"What are the ones you've been looking forward to?" Zoro asked subtly.

Robin explained that there was a saga she had been reading, and the most recent book had come out not too long ago. However, she hadn't had the time to go pick it up, nor the space for more books.

He nodded, taking a mental note of the information regarding the name and appearance of the book, before asking if she needed help with anything else. She shook her head.

"That should be everything, thank you for helping me out with all of this, it was a lot easier with a second pair of hands…"

Zoro chuckled, unsure of whether or not to comment on the fact she could technically create as many pairs of hands as she desired, and that he probably wasn't all that much help, but in the end, he just took his book and smiled at her.

"No worries, hey if you need me to help out again I'd be happy to." He offered, and she gave a grateful nod.

"I'll be sure to call on you next time." She assured him as he made his way out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5: Save me

Early that same morning the Strawhat crew realised that they were running low on a lot of their supplies, so they decided to stop off at the nearest island in order to stock up on food and a few other items.

Just as they began to discuss among themselves who would go where, and who would stay behind to watch over the ship, they spotted a small coastal town coming up ahead, and Nami gave the command to drop anchor as they neared the shore.

Nami had already made up her mind about where she would be going, so she took it upon herself to be the first crewmember to leave the ship. The navigator jumped down onto the island, beginning to make her way to the town centre so that she could shop for clothes and begin trading the stack of treasure that she had gathered in exchange for money.

After watching Nami leave, Chopper and Robin made their way off the ship next. They had decided that they'd start off by making a quick stop at the local book store together, in order to give away the old volumes that Robin no longer wanted to keep, and then they'd go into the centre of the town to get the medical supplies and ingredients that Chopper needed in order to make more medicine.

Brook and Usopp had been left in charge of getting the materials needed for ship maintenance, and the two guys had been given a detailed list of the supplies they needed from Franky before they too departed from the Sunny.

Sanji was the last to leave, and he had decided to go buy food from the markets that were set up around the town centre. He originally planned on going alone, but Luffy kept harassing him by asking if he could go along too after hearing that there would be a lot of new and exotic food up for sale. Sanji wasn't in the mood to fight with his captain over it, so the two made their way into the town together.

That left Franky and Zoro to watch the ship while everyone else was away.

Zoro decided to take the opportunity to make a start on the book that Robin had given him, so he sat with his back against the mast of the ship and opened the book.

It was quiet with everyone gone, so he figured that he could focus on the text at hand without getting distracted. In addition to that, there was no one besides Franky aboard the ship that could make fun of him for spending his spare time reading, so he figured that it would be the best time for him to start it.

He was surprised by how easy it was for him to actually get absorbed into it, and he got a good few chapters read before he decided to take a break.

Everyone had been gone for a couple of hours at this point, so Zoro put down his book and turned to Franky, who was busy drawing up blueprints on the other side of the main deck.

"Hey Franky, do you think you'd be alright here if I went to pick up something?" He asked, and Franky nodded, looking up from his work.

"Of course! I'm more than capable of protecting Sunny on my own, so you don't have to rush." He promised. "Though, what is it you need? You said before there was nothing you wanted." He added curiously as Zoro got up and made his way to the edge of the ship.

"Oh, I'm only going to pick up something for someone. It won't take long." He replied, before jumping down onto the ground below and making his way to the town's centre, leaving Franky to speculate about where the swordsman was really going based on his highly ambiguous answer.

As he approached the cluster of shops in the main part of the town, Zoro checked around cautiously, on the lookout for any of his crewmates. Once he was sure that none of them were around, he entered an archaic-looking shop with rows upon rows of books.

He felt intimidated by it in all honesty; he was way out of his depth. But he now knew the name of the book that Robin had been looking forward to reading for a while, and after he had helped her clear away her old books he knew it'd be something she'd really want.

He walked around the shop, searching the shelves for that one particular volume.

"Purple book, gold writing…" He muttered to himself as he scanned the shelves.

As he reached the fiction section, someone handed him a book. A book with a deep purple cover and gold cursive writing across it. He glanced at the title and immediately knew it was the right one.

"Thanks, I was looking for-" He began, then stopped when he realised who it was who had handed him the book.

"What are you doing here?!" Zoro yelled, snatching it out of her hands and holding it behind his back.

"Who's that for?" Nami asked curiously, ignoring his question. "I know for a fact you'd never willingly read a book, so I know you're not buying it for yourself."

Zoro just glared at her, speechless. He'd been found out.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I seem to recall a certain person who wanted this exact book. You didn't by any chance get this for Robin, did you?" She asked mischievously, grinning.

He sighed. No use trying to come up with a lie, it was just too obvious.

"Okay and so what if I did? Can't I do something nice for someone?" Zoro asked defensively, still clutching the volume in his hands.

"Yes but you're not normally nice. If it was someone else I would understand, but not you."

"HEY!" Zoro yelled. "I can be."

"Maybe, but it's rare. As rare as Luffy saying he isn't hungry or Usopp telling the truth. So, why?"

Zoro couldn't answer that. What would he say? ' _Because I care about Robin in a way I haven't cared about anyone else before'_? No, he definitely couldn't say that.

Nami smiled. She could practically see the money from the bet already. "You like her, don't you? Just admit it Zoro, there's nothing to be ashamed of-" She began, but Zoro had already paid for the book and disappeared out of sight.

She sighed in annoyance.

Robin and Chopper were on their way back to the ship after getting all the things they needed from the town's pharmacy. They had just begun to leave the centre and were headed towards the dock when Chopper noticed a small stall on the water's edge that was selling candy of all kinds, and he rushed on ahead while Robin lingered behind, carrying two bags full of medical supplies.

Chopper hurried over to the stall, his eyes lighting up as he squealed with happiness upon seeing that they had his favourite sugary treat. He turned to Robin excitedly and she smiled back at him, putting down the shopping bags and reaching for her purse.

"Robin! They have cotton candy!" He exclaimed joyfully as he began looking through the assortment in front of him.

"Go on Chopper, get yourself some cotton candy and pick out some nice sweets so you can share them around when we get back to the ship." She called back as she rifled through for her coin purse.

As her attention was focused on finding the money for Chopper, she didn't notice an out of control bicycle that was headed her way until it was too late.

There was a sudden impact and a loud crashing sound. Then a splash.

Chopper was startled by the sound of the crash and looked up quickly. Once he realised what had happened he dropped the sweets and rushed over to the side of the dock, crying out Robin's name.

It suddenly dawned on him that there was nothing he could do to help her. He couldn't dive in to save her due to also being a devil fruit user, and he didn't know how to get to the others in time.

"Oh my goodness, I-I'm so sorry!" The owner of the bike stammered as he approached Chopper and apologised in a panicked tone. "I-I can go get someone, I-" He offered, but his rambling was cut short when a figure approached them.

Zoro, who had been making his way back to the ship with the book in his hand, had noticed that Chopper was acting hysterical over something, and he unsympathetically pushed the stranger out of the way as he looked down at his crewmate.

"Chopper, what happened?" Zoro questioned upon noticing the reindeer's frantic behaviour. He looked around. "Where's Robin?!" His voice grew agitated when he couldn't spot her. The last time that Robin had gone missing whilst out with Chopper was during the CP9 incident in Water Seven, so he was understandably worried about her whereabouts.

"She's in the water!" He yelled in response, his voice trembling with fear.

Zoro's felt his stomach lurch at the news, and he turned hastily towards the water's edge. Before Chopper could explain further, Zoro tossed the book at him and dove into the cold sea in front of them without a second thought.

The swordsman swam down, bracing himself against the chill of the water around him. He held his breath, making his way deeper and deeper until he spotted Robin below, her jet-black hair flowing around her face as she floated there. He dove down further before lunging forward, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her to his chest protectively.

Once he had hold of her, he began making his way up to the surface.

He gasped for air as he carefully guided her back onto solid ground, and then pulled himself up beside her.

As soon as he was able, he stood up, lifting her in his arms and holding onto her carefully.

"Chopper. I'll take her back to the ship. Once I do, you need to check her over." He ordered, and Chopper nodded. There was a hint of panic in his voice at first, but he managed to stay calm as he addressed the terrified reindeer who seemed closed to tears.

"Okay, but Zoro, I'm really sorry…" Chopper cried, barely able to control his voice. "I didn't know what to do and I wasn't any help… It was all because of me that she got hurt."

Zoro shook his head. "Don't beat yourself up about it Chopper. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But, I couldn't save her when she was in danger…" He protested, his eyes welling up.

"Well you can check her over when we get back and make sure she's okay. You're the only one who can do that, so I'm counting on you, alright?" Zoro said, trying to make Chopper feel better as he carried Robin back to the ship.

Chopper nodded as he wiped his eyes and picked up the bags up of the floor before walking beside Zoro back to the Sunny.


	6. Chapter 6: Side by side

After what felt like an eternity, Robin was finally beginning to regain awareness and her eyes fluttered open.

As the haziness in her vision began to subside she noticed that there were two people in the room with her; Chopper, who was checking her pulse, and Zoro, who was sitting at the end of the bed facing away.

He didn't want to feel intrusive, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to leave her side, so he remained silent as he sat there.

Robin slowly lifted herself up and Chopper hugged her, whimpering her name in relief.

"How do you feel…?" He asked, still feeling guilty for not being able to help her sooner.

She patted him on the head in response to let him know that she was okay, before attempting to sit upright. She wasn't in much pain – she could feel a bruise or two coming on from where the bike had hit her, but aside from that her only other source of discomfort came from the intense burning coming from her throat, which she assumed was due to the fact she had probably swallowed seawater involuntarily after she went unconscious.

But despite the stinging, she managed to speak through her raw throat.

"Like I've swallowed a bucket of needles, but other than that I'm fine. Thank you for looking after me Chopper."

She smiled at him and he gave her a small smile back.

"It's no trouble, I'll get you something to drink…" He offered, then rushed off to get her a glass of water.

After Chopper had left the room, she turned her attention to the man who was sat at the end of the bed, silently staring at the wall.

"Zoro?" She asked inquisitively, curious as to why he had decided to accompany her.

Upon hearing her voice, he turned around, his eyes meeting hers for the first time since she'd woken up. A sense of relief rushed over him when he saw that she was unharmed.

"Yeah?" He replied, trying to keep a cool tone to his voice.

"How come you decided to stay with me? I appreciate it, but you didn't have to…" She asked weakly, and he shrugged.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. You were underwater for a long time, and from the sounds of it that was one hell of hit you took." Zoro explained, not bothering to make up some excuse as to why he wanted to stay with her. "I told Chopper I wasn't going to leave you on your own after that, and he said I could sit with you as long as I didn't get in the way, so I stayed here."

Robin felt her cheeks heat up as she grew flustered, and she smiled at him gratefully.

"Ahh… Well, I'm guessing that it was you that pulled me out of the water…" She noted, and Zoro gave a silent, confirming nod. "I want to thank you, you seem to always be there for me when I'm in danger, no matter what. It's really comforting you know…" She admitted, ignoring the pain coming from her throat as she spoke. She leant back into the bed and let out a sigh. "I wish I could do more in return."

Zoro blushed brightly at that. No flirty remarks and no playful teasing. She was being sincere with him and that made him even more embarrassed because he had no idea how to respond.

"You don't need to thank me for that..." He muttered, his cheeks still bright red. "Besides, you've been there for me when I've needed it too…" He thought back to Thriller Bark, where she saved him from falling when they were fighting Oars, and then to incident back at Saobody two years ago, where she had tried to protect him again from Kizaru.

He paused for a moment before looking down at the item in his hands. "Hey, Robin… I got you something, because I thought maybe you'd want it now that you've made some room in your library."

She looked at him with a slightly confused expression, so he handed her the book.

She took the volume from him, her face lighting up as she realised what it was.

"I thought that, well, since you seemed really excited to read it, that I'd pick it up for you…" He added as Robin inspected it. She felt her cheeks redden at the fact he had gone into the town and bought it for her, and that he had remembered the exact book she had been looking for.

"Thank you so much Zoro, this is amazing…" She replied as she leant forward, hugging him gently.

He didn't expect that, and his whole body turned a deep red colour as her arms wrapped around him. He took a second to react as he processed what had just happened, but he slowly relaxed and hugged her back.

"You're welcome." He replied before she moved away and opened the book, scanning the front page. He watched her, suddenly feeling anxious in case he'd picked up the wrong one. "Is it alright? I did get the right one, didn't I?" He asked, and she giggled.

"You did. I'm surprised you remembered honestly… There's so many books with similar titles out there, the fact you did this for me means a lot."

He began to get all flustered again, but before he could respond Chopper made his way back into the room, causing Zoro to move back to the end of the bed and Robin to put the book down on the side table as the doctor walked over.

"Here you go Robin…" Chopper said as he offered her the glass, which she appreciatively took from him. She felt a lot better as the cool, clear water calmed the fire in her throat, and once she finished it she placed the empty glass on the table beside the book and smiled at Chopper.

"Thank you, I feel a lot better now." She assured him, and he paused, assessing her condition one more time.

Once he was sure she was alright, he turned to her once again.

"I'm going to stay in here and make some medicine. You can go outside now if you want to, but if you start to feel dizzy or sick, let me know okay?" Chopper instructed as he began to gather up his medical equipment, and she nodded.

"I will, thank you Chopper. You're an amazing doctor." She said as she kissed his forehead and then proceeded to get out of bed.

"Hehe, your compliments don't make me happy, jerk!" Chopper giggled happily and Zoro smiled, also getting up.

"Well, I guess that's my cue to get going too, I'll see you later Chopper. I'll probably be in my training room if you need me." He added, before both of them left the medical room.

Zoro remained by her side as they walked out onto the deck, standing close to her like a silent guardian.

The rest of the crew had made it back from the town by now and were all waiting for Robin outside after hearing the news of what had happened.

Nami was the first to react when she saw the door to the sickbay open, running over and hugging the woman in front of her, glad that she was alright.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting. I'm feeling a lot better now." Robin reassured everyone after seeing their concerned expressions. She hugged Nami back and smiled at her apologetically.

"Thank God… We were all so worried…" Nami sighed, then looked over at Zoro who was still stood beside Robin.

After seeing that her crewmate was safe, the initial adrenaline-fueled panic subsided and she was left feeling smug at the sight in front of her. Now was her time to make the most of the situation.

She turned to Robin again. "It's a good job Zoro was there." She began, then paused for a second. "Not that I wouldn't have expected it; if there's anyone who's always around to save you, it's him." She added with a sly smile.

"E-Eh?" Zoro blurted out before Robin could respond, confused as to why Nami was mentioning this all of a sudden. "Well, it was just coincidence this time. I was walking past when I saw Chopper, and he told me about what had happened." He explained, but Nami wasn't paying any attention to him. She noticed the book in Robin's hand and grinned.

"But that's not really true, is it Zoro? If you hadn't gone out of your way to get her that book then who knows what would have happened. I guess you being nice to people does pay off after all."

His face turned bright red as he glared at the redhead. " _Nami..!"_ He snarled at her through clenched teeth, and she giggled.

"Oops, that was meant to be a secret? My bad!" She chimed, before backing off and returning to where she had been sat.

Franky let out a booming laugh as everything began to make sense to him. "Ahh, so that's where you disappeared to! I wondered what was so important!"

Robin chuckled at Zoro's embarrassment as he sighed in annoyance. _'Curse Nami and her big mouth'_.

Sanji glared. "You got Robin a book? _Why_?" He asked curtly. "You don't even know a single thing about books you stupid Marimo."

"It's none of your business, Shitty cook." He snarled back. Now it was Robin's turn to defuse the situation.

"It was a wonderful surprise, and I can't wait to read it. Thank you Zoro, it was really considerate of you…" She said as she stood between the two of them.

Zoro blushed. "I-It was no trouble, really… Don't mention it…"

Robin smiled at his unusual coyness and turned to face Sanji, who was still clearly high-strung. She knew she had to do something to calm him down, or else another fight would break out between the swordsman and the chef. "Sanji, can you make me some iced tea please? I'd really appreciate some if that's okay."

"Me too!" Nami shouted from behind as she listened in on the conversation. "I could kill for an iced tea!"

Sanji sighed, defeated. He couldn't stay irritated when Robin or Nami were involved.

"Of course, my sweet ladies. I'll go make you some right away~" He replied in a much more upbeat tone as he turned, making his way towards the kitchen. His irritation at Zoro was still present, but the happiness of Nami and Robin came first.

Sanji had just begun boiling water for the girls' drinks when Usopp walked in and leaned against the worktop. There was a further minute of silence between them before the sniper decided to speak up about what was on his mind.

"Hey Sanji, you don't think there is something going on between them, do you? I was so sure there wasn't but, I don't know any more." He began, then sighed. He needed to get it off his chest with someone that he knew would be on his side. "Between you and me, I had this bet with-"

"Can you believe that asshole?" Sanji interrupted, clearly still irritated by Zoro's existence. His attention was still on the drinks as he began to pour the boiled water into two cups filled with fruit and syrup.

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl for himself.

"You know, the way he's constantly hanging around Robin. Who does he think he is?" He muttered as he began chopping oranges and lemons into thin slices in order to decorate the side of the glasses.

"Well, I'm not happy about it either…" Usopp muttered. "Not that I think there is anything going on, but if they do end up liking each other then I owe Nami a tonne of money…"

"What?" Sanji asked as he put the two drinks into the fridge to cool. Usopp now had his full attention thanks to the mention of the redheaded crewmember. "Nami?"

"Yeah," He muttered as he took a bite out of the apple. "Me and Nami had a bet, that's why she's so invested in them all of a sudden. She's trying to prove that they have feelings for each other whereas I said that they don't. It started out as just her speculating over it; but it ended with us both putting money on the line."

"You two made a bet over it?" Sanji questioned, raising one curly eyebrow. He leant against the counter and pulled out his cigarette packet and lighter.

"Yeah, I know, it was stupid." Usopp admitted. "But who would have expected that Zoro of all people would end up actually like someone? I thought it'd be an easy win." He sighed. "If Nami wins this, I'm going to be so annoyed. And not even about the money, but just because I know she won't stop gloating about it."

Although Sanji didn't like the idea of Zoro and Robin becoming a couple, the idea of Nami being so happy about it made him smile a little bit. If she was in a good mood, then he couldn't help being in one too, regardless of the circumstances.

He began to calm down just a little bit and walked out from behind the food preparation area and into the dining room.

Knowing the iced teas would take a while longer to chill, Sanji decided to excuse himself for a few minutes, and headed towards the back door.

"I'm going to go for a smoke outside. I'll be right back." He told Usopp, not waiting for a reply as he swung open the door and took his leave.


	7. Chapter 7: Master plan

After reassuring everyone that she was unharmed, Robin began to make her way towards the aquarium, carrying the book that Zoro had given her. She loved the atmosphere in there, and she found that it was the best place to go when she wanted to immerse herself in a good book.

Besides Zoro's training room and the crow's nest, it was her go to place when she needed some peace and quiet.

As she approached the room she noticed that Zoro was sat outside, and to her surprise he asked if he could join her. He did originally plan to go to his training room and work out for a little while, but he decided instead that he wanted to spend some more time with Robin.

She blushed and nodded. "Of course, I really would enjoy your company. Although, I'm sorry Nami brought all that up back there. You looked very uncomfortable." She apologised as the they went inside and sat next to each other on the leather couches.

"Eh, it's not your fault." Zoro replied as he watched her open the book. "And I wasn't uncomfortable, I just… I didn't want the whole crew asking questions." He muttered the last part of his sentence, and Robin looked up at him curiously.

"Questions?"

"Well, you know... About us." He hedged.

He realised how that sounded and tried to correct himself. "Not that I'm suggesting that there is an 'us' or anything, I just mean that…" When he realised there was no way to fix what he had said without digging an even deeper hole, he decided to drop it. "I-It doesn't matter… Don't let me distract you from your book."

She giggled, watching as he leant back and crossed his arms behind his head. She decided not to torment him by pushing him further, and instead did as he suggested, turning to the first page of her book.

As she began to read, she became instantly absorbed into the story. The book was a sequel to one she had read previously, so feelings of nostalgia began to flow back as she started the first chapter.

She was completely focused, or at least she was up until a point, when she noticed Zoro's side glance as he watched her. He had a curious expression, and his eyes darted from her face to the book and back again. He was trying to be discrete, but Robin had noticed his curiosity and she found it endearing.

A small smile tugged on her lips as she looked over to him. "You know, you can read with me if you'd like to. I'm not very far, and it's a really good book…"

He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what his answer should be. He knew he would just slow her down and make it harder for her to actually enjoy the book if he was to read along with her, but the temptation was there. He wanted to know more about the stuff she liked, and he also didn't want to reject her for a second time.

He made up his mind as he sighed and moved closer to her, close enough that the two were almost touching, and Robin flipped back to the beginning so that they could start reading together. As she did so, Zoro blushed from how close they had both gotten to each other, and she giggled at his flustered expression as she held the book in front of them both.

It was obvious Zoro was trying to read as fast as he could for fear of keeping her waiting, but Robin didn't mind the fact he was less used to reading than she was, and she slowed her own pace so that he didn't feel pressured to get to the end of the page at the same time as her.

After the two of them had finished a few pages of the book, Zoro was feeling a lot calmer about the situation, and was finding himself actually enjoying the story. Sure, he still didn't understand all the long, fancy words that were used, but he could see now why Robin liked it so much. It was an escape from reality, and Zoro was enjoying escaping with her.

Back on the main deck, Nami had gathered up a small team consisting of Luffy, Franky, Brook, and also Chopper, who had joined them after he had finished making up some new medicines in the sickbay.

She had an idea, and it involved giving Robin and Zoro's relationship a little push in the right direction, but she needed the help of the other crewmembers in order to put her plan into action.

"So, what's this about?" Chopper asked, confused about the purpose of the gathering.

"Well, I've got a little surprise planned for Robin and Zoro. Something to help their situation along." Nami explained. She had assumed that everyone was already on the same page, but after looking at their blank expressions, she wasn't so sure that they were. "Come on, I cannot be the only one here who can tell there's something between them." Nami complained with a sigh of frustration, and Franky shook his head.

"Nah, you're not. If you're talking about the whole obvious affection thing that's going on, I noticed it too. Zoro is terrible at hiding it, and Robin isn't even really trying to at this point." Franky pointed out, and Brook laughed, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I think we've all noticed Nami…" He added.

"Well, everyone but Zoro. He's still oblivious to it." Luffy sniggered. "So what is your idea anyway?"

She smirked. She was relieved to find out that everyone agreed with her, and now that they were on board it was time to put her plan into motion.

"Okay, good. So, I was thinking we could do something nice for them, but I'll need everyone's help." Nami explained, and the others listened intently. "We're going to throw them a surprise dinner. They won't know anything about it, we'll just get them to go into the kitchen and everything will be set up ready. Think about it, it'll be nice after what they both went through today, so really we're all just doing them a favour." She smiled to herself, clearly proud that she'd managed to think of it all by herself.

She grinned as she continued to explain her idea in more depth, and Luffy chuckled. "I like it!" He yelled. He was fully on board with whatever Nami came up with at this point.

"There's only one problem." Franky pointed out. "Sanji won't cook a meal for two if he knows it's for Robin and Zoro's date. Someone will have to trick him, or if that doesn't work, one of us will have to cook the food instead."

Nami smiled a mischievous smile. "I'll handle that, don't worry. I know how to get Sanji on our side."

Sanji had returned to the kitchen after his short break and was just finishing off the iced teas when Nami entered the room. She smiled at him as she walked over, and his eyes turned to hearts.

"Nami~" He called out happily, grinning like an idiot.

"Sanji? Could you do me a massive favour?" She asked, sitting at the table and looking up at him, doe eyed.

And with that he was under her spell. It was easier than anyone could have imagined, getting the chef to go along with the plan. All they needed was Nami in order to convince him.

"Anything for you, Nami~" He chimed, handing her one of the two glasses he had made. She gladly took the drink and leant against the worktop. "What is it you need?"

"Could you possibly make two meals? I feel bad on Robin, she hasn't eaten since she's gotten back on the ship, so she must be hungry…" She kept up the round-eyed routine as she asked, taking a sip of her iced tea.

"Two? Who's the other meal for?" Sanji questioned curiously, but there was no resistance in his tone. He was more than happy to go along with whatever she had in mind regardless of what her answer was.

"Well, she can't eat alone…" Nami pointed out, before a voice interjected from behind.

"Oi…" Usopp muttered. He hadn't left the kitchen and was still sat at the table. "You're meddling, I know you are. Sanji may be powerless against it but I'm not."

She sighed. Of course _he'd_ be here to try and sabotage her brilliant idea.

She turned to Usopp, a smile still on her face. "No one said I wasn't allowed to meddle, my friend. If you didn't want me to, you should have specified before we made the deal." She pointed out, sticking out her tongue at him. "There's no use telling me now~"

Usopp scowled, regretting his decision to challenge her to the bet. She was sly, and she knew how to make things go her way.

Nami turned her attention back to Sanji. "So do you think you could do that for me..?" She asked pleadingly, and he nodded eagerly.

"Of course! I'll get right to it!" he chimed as he rushed to the cupboards to get a couple of pans out, and then hurried to the fridge to get ingredients. "Is there anything in particular you'd like me to make?" He asked as he searched the kitchen, and she shook her head.

"It's completely up to you; you know best, so I'll put my trust in you." She stated, giving him another wide smile. She was pleased that she'd managed to convince him so easily.

"Okay!" He responded enthusiastically as he danced around the kitchen, and Nami took her leave as Sanji began gathering everything he needed in order to prepare the meal.


	8. Chapter 8: Absolute beginners

After he had finished preparing two dishes of sea king paella, Sanji left the kitchen and went to go find Nami.

By now she had returned to the group that were waiting for her on the main deck and had begun to discuss things with them.

She was midway through telling Luffy about what she needed him to do when she noticed the chef approaching, so she stopped and called over to him, eager to check on his progress.

"Sanji! Is everything ready?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Of course, Is there anything else you need me to do?" He offered, but she shook her head. She'd already instructed Brook on what to do next, and he was busy setting up the room, attempting to make it more romantic.

"You've done more than enough, thank you." She chimed and Sanji felt himself falling into one of his love trances as he began babbling nonsense and drooling over her.

Nami ignored him and turned to the others, ready to inform them of the next stage of her plan. She noticed Brook as he swiftly made his way out the dining room, and she smiled, relieved that everything was going to plan.

"Right, so now that all that's done, I need the rest of you to-" She began, but she was suddenly taken off guard as Luffy nudged her and pointed at the aquarium. Robin and Zoro were making their way out together, deep in conversation over something.

Although she hadn't achieved everything she had wanted to in that small amount of time, Nami still took that opportunity as her chance to confront them, hastily leaving the group and making her way over.

"Robin! Sanji told me to tell you that he made some food for you! He's left it in the dining room, and there's even some left over for you Zoro…" She announced, earning a confused look from the pair.

Worried that they would see through her plan, she continued. "He noticed you hadn't eaten all day, and he said he couldn't let you go without doing so, so he took it upon himself to make something for you." She explained. "He also said it was the least he could do after not being there to save you."

Robin seemed satisfied with that and beamed happily. "Is that so? How thoughtful; I was beginning to get hungry so I'm very grateful."

Zoro was still sceptical over the fact Sanji would have made anything at all for him to eat, but he followed Robin regardless as she made her way into the kitchen.

As they entered the room, Nami smiled and guided them both to their seats. Zoro's eyes narrowed as he realised there was a full plate for him.

"Shitty cook wouldn't do this. What're you up to Nami?" Zoro questioned, but instead of giving him an answer she just grinned and backed out of the room slowly.

"Enjoy your meal!" Nami called out, before turning the lights off and shutting the door behind them, locking them inside.

Her plan was in motion.

As the door slammed in front of them, Zoro turned to Robin with a look of confusion on his face, but Robin had already caught on to the situation at hand and could guess what Nami's intention was.

She watched him silently as he raised an eyebrow and got up to open the door, but to no success.

"The hell? We're locked in." He murmured, and she giggled in response.

"Yes, it appears that Nami is trying to set us up. It would explain the meal, the drinks and the… Ambiance."

It was true. As per Nami's instructions, Brook had dimmed the room down and drawn the curtains, leaving them with only candles as natural light. Nami had also gone out of her way to provide them with cocktails, beer and wine, as well as the iced tea that Sanji had made. There was a vinyl player set up in the corner, with a quiet melody playing in the background, but other than that, the room was quiet.

Robin seemed calm about the situation, most likely because she had expected something like this to happen based on Nami's strange behaviour, but Zoro hadn't, and he was redder than the roses that were placed in a vase upon the table.

"Yeah, I guess that does explain it…" He muttered, clearly embarrassed. He paused for a moment, then bit his lip before continuing. "Well, I guess since we're locked in here, we might as well make the most of being away from the crew and enjoy ourselves."

Robin blushed at his unexpected response to the situation but hid her true emotions behind her signature playful demeanour. She was afraid to show him her true feelings, so she disguised it as teasing instead. "You're right, after all it's not every day I get to be alone with the enigmatic swordsman, especially on a date." She stated, filling herself a glass of wine.

"Yeah, and I'll pretend I know what enigmatic means so I don't look completely stupid…" He chuckled, also trying to hide his nervousness. He didn't expect his first date with Robin to happen like this. He felt so unprepared.

Robin noticed that he seemed quite tense, so she passed him a bottle of sake to help him relax, which he gladly took.

"Thanks…" He said as he began to drink out of it straight away. He wished he could be more confident and more flirtatious around her. But it just wasn't him. He'd never had feelings like this for anyone before, so he had no idea how to act.

"In all seriousness, this is actually quite nice." She admitted as she made a start on her meal, and he blushed, nodding once in agreement.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I guess it's just a little strange because I've never done anything like this before. I've only ever eaten with the rowdy crew or on my own, never with… You know…" He trailed off.

"Hmm?" Robin muttered curiously as she looked up from her food.

"A date." Zoro answered bashfully as he averted his eyes and began eating.

Robin giggled happily. "Me neither, so I guess that makes it a new experience for the both of us. Though I must admit, I'm glad it's with you."

"Really?" He asked, taken aback by her confession. She nodded and smiled sincerely.

"Of course. I enjoy spending time with you…" She answered honestly, and he felt his skin flushing a bright red colour.

"Y-Yeah, well me too." He agreed as he shovelled food into his mouth.

The two decided to continue the conversation that they had been having earlier as they made their way through the paella and a few of the drinks, and they gradually grew to feel a lot more comfortable with the situation that they were in. Once the initial shock of being set up worn off, they were talking and joking with each other like normal.

After a little while, Robin decided to test the waters. She felt comfortable enough around him to ask now, especially with no one else around.

"Hey Zoro?" She spoke calmly, glass of wine in hand. They had both finished their meals at this point and were helping themselves to more drinks as time passed.

"Hmm?" He asked as he looked up at her curiously. "What's up?"

"Would you consider dancing with me? Now that there's no one else here?" She asked, and he turned purple at the unexpected request. He had no reason not to; he felt like he could at least be vulnerable if it was around her.

"Alright but, I'm no good at it, so I'm warning you now. I'm not a dancer." He stated, but despite the apprehensive statement he was the first out of the two of them to get up. He gave a small smile, before offering her his hand.

She put down her glass and blushed as she placed her hand in his, and he responded by pulled her against him firmly. There was a moment of clumsiness between the two of them at first, with neither really sure what to do with themselves, but they gradually grew a lot more relaxed around each other as they realised that they both felt the same way.

Zoro gently held onto Robin's hand as he spun her around gently, and she let out a content laugh as she fell into his arms. She then took the lead, wrapping her arms around his neck and swaying along with the music. For the first time, their eyes met and neither attempted to avert their gaze.

Zoro could feel himself being drawn towards her, and Robin felt the same as she leaned in and gently planted a kiss on his lips. It was only fleeting, and Zoro barely had time to react before she pulled away.

Realisation suddenly hit as she registered what she had just done. She blushed brightly and moved back, almost tripping up. "S-Sorry! I was just caught up in the moment back there, I wasn't thinking…" It wasn't like her to panic like this, but then again, she'd never been in a situation like this before.

"It's okay…" Zoro reassured her as he reached out, gently taking her hand in his again. "I was actually-"

Just as he began to say something, Franky walked in through the back door that Nami had neglected to lock. Due to the intrusion, both of them jumped and Zoro let go of Robin's hand immediately, blushing as he returned back to his seat.

As Franky noticed the two of them, he realised what had happened, and he felt the tension grow in the air.

"Shit, did I-? My bad, I forgot that you two were in here. I'm just going to grab my Cola, don't mind me. Just, carry on as if nothing happened." Franky said as he hastily made his way to the fridge, grabbing two bottles and then taking a bottle opener from the drawer. "I hope you two are having fun!" he added in an attempt to lighten the mood, but it just made things even more uncomfortable.

Robin, felt herself becoming more and more flustered and she risked a glance at Zoro, who seemed to be in the same situation as her. Not a word was said as they both waited for Franky to gather up his things, and they watched as he made his way out of the room.

Once he had left, Robin turned to Zoro, who was contemplating over what to say next. The mood had been well and truly killed thanks to Franky's cola craving. He couldn't go back to what he was saying now.

"Well, I guess the back door had been open all this time. Who would have thought? I had assumed Nami would have been a lot more thorough." She pointed out and Zoro chuckled.

"Yeah, I didn't think to check that one…" He replied, and paused for a minute before asking; "So, are we going to leave then?"

He hoped she'd suggest that they should stay for a little while longer. But she didn't.

Instead she just nodded, and the two made their way out onto the deck without another word.


	9. Chapter 9: Another lonely night

As the evening drew to a close, the Strawhat's started to make their way to their own sleeping quarters earlier than usual. The guys all headed off to their room while Nami made her way up to hers.

She hadn't checked up on Robin and Zoro's date yet, nor had she heard anything from either of them, so she was hoping that all was going well. She had been tempted to risk glancing inside but decided against it on the off-chance that it had gone better than she hoped. She didn't want to risk either interrupting them or seeing something she would be better off not seeing.

She decided that she'd just give them privacy for now and ask Robin about the whole thing later on. Besides, she was also feeling pretty worn out due to all the work she had put into the set-up date, and she was ready to retire to her room.

As she walked inside, she noticed that her roommate was already lying in bed. Nami looked at Robin with a surprised expression, as she had assumed that she would have still been with Zoro at this point.

Upon realising that she was not yet asleep, Nami sat at the end of the bed and decided to press her for information.

"So, you escaped, did you?" She asked with a smirk. "How did it go~?" She chimed excitedly, eager for the gossip. "Don't leave anything out, I want to know everything!"

Robin gave a small chuckle at her friend's enthusiasm, but it wasn't her normal cheery laugh. She turned to the redhead before answering. "I appreciate what you did Nami, and it was lovely…" She began as she sat up, but Nami could tell there was something wrong with her tone.

"But?" she pressed.

"I think I might have ended up making things awkward…" Robin admitted, picking up her book from her bedside table and holding it to her chest as a means of comfort.

"Awkward? How so?" She pressed.

"Well..." Robin began but stopped to give a small smile. She wasn't yet ready to confess to Nami that she kissed Zoro. She still couldn't even believe she'd done it herself. A small part of her was elated at the fact she had shared such an intimate moment with the swordsman, but she also felt embarrassed due to making such a bold move, and she was afraid that she'd went too far.

"That part is a secret. I might tell you about it in the future but for now, my lips are sealed." Robin replied, causing Nami to pout in annoyance. She was not happy about the lack of information coming from the woman.

"But I don't think our little date-crasher helped much." She added on after a moment of silence, not wanting to dwell too much on the kiss. "You forgot to lock the back door you know, so we had a little visitor." Robin stated, giggling at Nami's expression that was growing more and more frustrated by the second.

"Wait I did? Damn it…" She cursed. But the mention of a date crasher stole her attention, and she scowled. "Was it Sanji? I swear, if that love-fool sabotaged this just because he hates the idea of Zoro having a girlfriend before he does, I'll kill him." Nami muttered, but Robin shook her head.

"It wasn't Sanji."

"Huh?" Now Nami was confused. If it wasn't Sanji, she had no idea who it could have been. "Then who?"

"I won't tell on them if it's going to get them in trouble, so you'll have to find that out yourself." She teased. Just as Nami was about to protest, Robin rolled over on her side, still holding onto the book. "Now, I'm tired after all of today's excitement, so I'll talk to you more in the morning. Good night Nami."

Nami sighed, getting into her own bed. Robin was one person she didn't have the energy to argue with, because she knew she could be just as stubborn as her sometimes. She knew she'd just have to wait to get the information she wanted.

"Night Robin…" Nami replied as she turned the light off, and the two girls fell asleep.

Zoro was lying awake in the guys' cabin, his mind replaying the events from that day over and over again in his head.

He thought about when him and Robin were in the medical room and how she had hugged him, and then his mind brought back the memory of him and Robin dancing together, and he remembered how he'd got so caught up in the moment.

He felt his lips tingle as he thought about when Robin had kissed him, and he gave a small smile as he recalled how it had felt.

He wished he'd had the time to respond to her before Franky had barged in, because he had wanted to tell her that he was about to do the same, and that she had just beaten him to it. He wished he had reacted quicker and kissed her first, or at least had returned the kiss, but he had missed his opportunity to show her how he felt, and he knew he wouldn't get another chance like that again.

He gave a quiet sigh of frustration and rolled onto his side, but he knew it'd be futile to even attempt to get some rest. His mind was just too active.

After a while of staring at the ceiling, Zoro started to give up on the idea of sleeping, and he stood up, grabbing the book from the side of his bed. He decided to spend some time filling his mind with something else besides thoughts of Robin, but it was too late to train, so he figured that now was a good time to read some more of the book that she had gave him.

Before he could head outside onto the deck, he had to climb over Luffy who was sprawled out across the floor, and he almost tripped over his captain as he worked his way across the room.

Eventually he managed to escape the cabin and ended up outside. There was a cold chill in the air, but it wasn't anything too bad, and he debated where to go to at first. The crow's nest and the aquarium were both good options, but he eventually settled on the library, and began to make his way over, book in hand.

As he entered, he noticed that the room was a lot more organised than it had been previously, when him and Robin had been sorting out her books together. Since he had last been inside, she had cleared away the pile of unwanted volumes and organised the shelves to give it a much neater appearance.

It felt weird for Zoro to be inside the library alone, and it felt even weirder for him to be the one who was willingly spending his free time with an open book in his lap. He never thought he'd see the day he'd be sacrificing sleep in order to read.

He sat on the floor and leant back so that he was resting against a wall, then proceeded to open up the book to where he had left off, immersing himself in the tales of the Wano Samurai.

He found the book to be surprisingly interesting, and he felt inclined to continue reading up until the point his eyes began to ache from a combination of tiredness and from being focused on the book for so long.

It wasn't long before he felt himself beginning to fall asleep, and he didn't attempt to fight it. He gladly let himself drift off into a deep sleep, not caring enough to get up off the floor and return to his cabin.


	10. Chapter 10: A surprise encounter

As the morning came around, Robin was the first one out of the crewmembers to wake up.

Now that she'd had a full night's rest she was feeling a lot more level-headed and less nervous regarding the events of the night before. But despite feeling calmer about the situation, she was still unsure of how to approach Zoro.

She didn't want to end up avoiding him, so she debated over whether it would be best to act as if nothing had happened and carry on as normal, or if it would be better for her to approach him and apologise for acting so impulsively.

She gave the dilemma some thought, before deciding to get up and make a start to her day. Robin wasn't someone who liked to hang about in her room, so she decided to begin her morning by returning a few books that she had left lying around to her now reduced collection in the library before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.

Robin pulled on her clothes before leaving the cabin and began making her way across the ship to the library. Her mind returned to the situation with Zoro, and she thought over all the possible scenarios in her head as she made her way inside.

As she entered the room she let out a quiet gasp, startled by the sight in front of her. There was Zoro, fast asleep against the wall with an open book resting over his face. She hadn't expected to find anyone in the library, let alone him. She quietly walked past him to put her stack of books away, but as she did so the swordsman let out a muffled yawn and looked up.

"Robin..?" He asked, slightly confused. "What are you doing here?"

She chuckled as she slid the books into their rightful places on the shelf, then turned to face him.

"What am I doing here? This is the Library Zoro, I should be asking you that."

He seemed disorientated for a moment, before he eventually came to his senses. He realised he wasn't in his cabin and gave a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, oh yeah…" He replied. "Sorry about that."

She took a seat beside him. She hadn't planned on seeing him so soon, and she still had no idea on how to act, so she decided to just let the conversation flow naturally and if the kiss was brought up, then she would apologise but if not then she wouldn't mention it.

"So, what are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

"It's embarrassing…" He muttered as his cheeks turned pink. He leant forward and picked up the book that had fell onto the floor when he woke up and carefully closed it, setting it down beside him.

"Embarrasing?" She echoed as she leaned forward, her expression filling with interest. "Now I'm intrigued."

He sighed. "Well, I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to get some more of the book read." He answered honestly. He watched her expression and noticed that she seemed confused.

"Why is that embarrassing?" She asked sincerely. It was something she often did, and she never once deemed it to be something to be embarrassed about.

"Well, I guess that part isn't. It's the reason I couldn't sleep that's the embarrassing part." He replied. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could ask him for the reason he chuckled and continued. "But you're not getting that information out of me easily. I'm allowed to have some secrets."

Robin smirked. "What if I buy you some sake?"

He hesitated. "You drive a hard bargain."

"Well? Is it a deal?" She replied as a grin appeared on her face, and Zoro let out another chuckle.

"Fine, you buy me a drink and then I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Okay, then while we're still docked here we might as well go to a local bar later on. Then you can tell me everything." She suggested, the teasing grin still present on her face.

"Sounds good." He agreed.

The two of them let the topic go for now, and Zoro asked if she wanted to get breakfast together while it was quiet. They knew it wouldn't be long before the others woke up, so they decided now would be their best chance if they wanted to go alone.

As they entered the kitchen, memories from the night before came flooding back, and Robin blushed as she began to clear away the roses and candles that had been left on the table. Noticing that there was a lot to carry, Zoro walked over to her and to offer to help.

Robin gratefully accepted his offer, and after the two had cleared away the table Robin went over to the kettle and began to make herself a coffee. She turned to Zoro to offer him one.

"Would you like anything?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"I'm alright thanks." He replied, watching her as she made her own drink and then returned to the table. As she sat down, she turned to him.

"So how are you finding the book?" She asked inquisitively.

"Surprisingly interesting." He admitted. "I didn't really expect to enjoy it as much as I have been, so I guess I should thank you for talking me into giving it a go, and for letting me have it."

She blushed as she took a sip of her coffee. "That's good to hear, I'm really glad you're enjoying it. Feel free to help yourself to any of the books in my library that take your liking." She offered, and he chuffed.

"I'll have a look, but I still don't think It'll become one of my regular pastimes. I'm enjoying the book you gave me but it's hard work." He admitted, not wanting to give her the wrong impression. Although he liked sharing interests with Robin, reading was still something he seen as tiresome.

She giggled. "Oh well, at least I've gotten you to try it. You never know; you might decide you like it even more than training."

He rolled his eyes at her comment but smiled none the less. He was happy that he was able to spend time with her so effortlessly like this, and he was relieved that she wasn't feeling awkward around him despite what had happened only the night before. But he was nervous about his promise to go out with her later, because he was unsure about how she'd respond to the truth.

He definitely needed that sake.

A few hours had passed since Robin and Zoro had spent their breakfast together, and now that it was later on in the morning, everyone else had woken up and become a lot more lively as they spread out across the ship.

Nami had decided to meet Luffy for a chat, so she made her way to the dining area. Just as she had suspected, the captain had snuck into the kitchen and was searching for food. Upon hearing the door open, Luffy's head shot up, and he grinned at her as she entered.

"Nami! I'm glad it's you and not Sanji!" He muttered as he stuffed an apple into his mouth.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, you got lucky. He's currently in the bath right now so he can't stop you. Go crazy." She tossed him the key to the fridge, and his eyes lit up.

"Where did you-?!" He began to ask as he caught the key and eagerly opened the fridge.

"Sanji left it lying around. Anyway, that's not important. We need to take a different approach to getting Zoro and Robin together because apparently the date idea didn't go to plan." She stated as she watched her captain rummage through the fridge.

"Oh eieh! 'ow gig eh 'ate goh?" Luffy mumbled as he practically inhaled a piece of meat and Nami chuckled at the sight in front of her.

"I'm not too sure, but Robin isn't giving much away. She's being stubborn and only told me that apparently is was 'awkward' but then she wouldn't explain what she meant by that." She replied. By now she was used to understanding Luffy's incomprehensible mumbles with barely any difficulty.

"augwarg?" Luffy echoed, mouth still full of food. "Why us ick augwarg?"

"I have no idea. But I'm not letting Usopp win this thing. We need to try something else."

Just as Luffy took another plate of food, Nami shut the fridge and locked it, putting the key back in her pocket. "You know what to do if you want this key, right?" She asked, and Luffy nodded, holding onto his last plate of food protectively.

"Get Zoro and Robin to confess!" He shouted, and she grinned.

"Exactly. Now help me come up with another plan."


	11. Chapter 11: An evening together

As the sun began to set, Robin made her way out onto the main deck to wait for Zoro. She had spent most of her afternoon preparing herself for the evening ahead, while Zoro on the other hand had spent the largest part of his day catching up on his sleep, and was currently in his room, getting ready.

Just as Robin took a seat on the edge of the ship and began to make herself comfortable, Zoro walked out of his room and began making his way over to where she was sat.

He wasn't really dressed up much, so when he saw Robin's flawless appearance he blushed brightly and wished that he'd put a bit more effort into his own outfit.

She was wearing a very flattering purple dress that shown enough skin to make Zoro feel his whole body heat up in response to her presence, but despite the reaction it instilled upon him, her outfit was still a tasteful one that complemented her figure beautifully.

He on the other hand was wearing a white t-shirt, black pants and a leather jacket, which wasn't too different from his normal clothes. Robin didn't mind his laid-back attire however, as she found it to be rather attractive, and she thought that such a look suited him perfectly.

"Did I keep you waiting for long?" He asked as he approached her, and she shook her head.

"No not at all, I just got here myself. She replied, smiling at him as she got up. "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded in response, and Robin grabbed her bag as the two got ready to leave the ship.

She knew it wasn't really a 'date' as such, but it didn't stop her from feeling nervous. Zoro noticed that she seemed rather on edge, so he offered her a hand which she gladly took, and the two made their way off the ship.

He wasn't sure if she seemed anxious due to the fact they were returning to the same place that the accident had happened only a day ago, or if it was due to the fact they were going out together, almost like a couple would. But either way he wanted to make her feel at ease.

He let go of her hand as they made their way off the ship but remained close to her side as they walked along the dock's edge. He held back the temptation to put his arm around her as they walked, and instead distracted himself by looking around for any pubs.

The town took on a completely different appearance of an evening; the streets were a lot less busy, and there were sparsely lit streetlights between the bars that made it easy to notice the twinkling stars in the sky above.

Robin looked up at them with a pleased smile and Zoro blushed as he watched her.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" She asked him, and he nodded in response.

"Yeah, beautiful…" He replied quietly. He wasn't really referring to the same thing that she was, but he was far too embarrassed to outwardly compliment the woman standing beside him.

Zoro was normally such a confident guy, but when it came to situations like this with Robin, his timid side immerged. Romance definitely wasn't his strong point.

"So, are there any bars around here you like the look of?" He asked as they walked down a strip of open pubs and restaurants. He would have been happy just going to the first one within walking distance, but he wanted to take her to somewhere that she wanted to go.

Robin looked around and spotted a Karaoke bar nearby. "What about there? I've not heard you sing before. I think you'd be pretty good!" She asked, turning to Zoro. She saw his face change and she giggled at his horrified reaction to her suggestion.

"You'd have to get me blackout drunk before I ever agree to step foot in one of those places, let alone sing." He muttered, turning bright red. She chuckled at his statement and then looked around for another pub, taking it more seriously this time.

"Okay, then what about that one?" She asked, pointing to a tavern on the corner of the street. It wasn't packed full of people, but it was by no means empty either.

It seemed like a decent place to get a few drinks, so Zoro nodded and lead the way.

As they made their way inside, Zoro offered to buy the first round of drinks, but Robin reminded him of their deal and slid the money into his hand, refusing to let him pay.

"I'll go find us a seat." She told him, having to lean in close so he could hear her over the noise of the rowdier customers. Zoro watched as Robin made her way through the crowd in search of a table, a smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked.

Once she left his line of vision he turned to the barman and ordered two drinks; a glass of wine and a pint of sake.

After a little bit of searching, Robin found an unoccupied table for two and hastily sat down, placing her bag on her lap and taking off her jacket. Just as she did so, she spotted Zoro with the two drinks in hand, searching for her though a crowd of people.

She smiled and decided to use her devil fruit power to help guide him to the table rather than shout to him or risk getting up and losing the seat to somebody else. She grew an arm out of one of the customer's backs and gently tapped Zoro on the shoulder, pointing him in the direction that she was sat. He looked irritated at first due to the assumption that he was being touched by a stranger, but upon seeing that it was Robin's devil fruit powers at work he smirked and made his way over to the table.

"Good thinking." He chuckled as he sat down, passing her the glass. She gladly took it and smiled in response.

"Well I thought it'd be the easiest way to get your attention." She answered, the smile still on her face as she took a sip of her wine. "I know it looked lively in here from outside, but I didn't expect it to be this full." She admitted, and he shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, at least we managed to find somewhere to sit." He pointed out, before adding; "And they had booze too, so that's all that matters."

Robin chuckled in response to his statement, and he sighed, taking another large gulp of sake. "Okay so, I guess I should tell you now." Zoro began, wishing the alcohol could enter his bloodstream faster so he could just come out and say it without feeling like a nervous wreck.

Upon noticing the hesitance in his voice, Robin spoke up. "Well, you don't have to if you don't feel comfortable… In truth I just thought it would be nice to go out and have a drink with you." She admitted. "I am curious, but I don't want you to feel pressured to tell me anything you don't want to. I don't mind if you want to keep it a secret."

Zoro blushed – he hadn't expected that at all. He had assumed she'd continue to tease him until she found out everything, and he was willing to tell her everything at this point. It was all weighing down on him too much and he wanted to get it off his chest.

"No it's not that, I feel comfortable enough around you to tell you, I just…" He sighed again and shook his head. "I guess I'm a bit nervous. But I want to tell you."

Robin blushed and nodded, giving him her full attention. "Then I'm all ears."

"I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about what happened last night. When you kissed me." Zoro admitted, and then paused so he could figure out how to phrase what he wanted to tell her so badly.

Robin took the moment of silence between them as her chance to apologise. "About that… I'm really sorry, I-"

"Don't say sorry." Zoro interrupted, stopping her before she could continue. "I'm trying to tell you that I wanted to do the same. I wanted to kiss you back, and I was going to until Franky shown up. So don't apologise and don't feel bad for it, because if you hadn't done it, then I would have."

Robin was speechless and her cheeks began to take on a deep shade of crimson.

"Zoro…" She breathed, unsure of how to respond. She took a moment to finish off her glass of wine before asking. "Really? You're not just saying that?"

Zoro shook his head, finishing off his own drink. "It's all true. So, now you know."

A small smile appeared on her face as relief washed over her, and she let out a happy sigh. "You could have told me that earlier, I've been worrying about it all day, thinking that you were mad at me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You thought I'd be angry over that?"

She shrugged. "Okay, looking back on it maybe I have been overreacting, but I genuinely thought that you might have thought badly of me for doing so."

He smiled and shook his head. "No way."

Just before Robin could respond, one of the customers who had clearly had far too much to drink leaned over and put an arm around her, taking her completely off guard.

"You're Demon Child Nico Robin, right? You're such a hottie!" He exclaimed in a drunken slur. "Can I buy you a drink in return for a kiss?" He asked, leaning in closer to her.

"thank you for the offer, but I'm really not interested." Robin replied, immediately declined his offer. She then politely asked him if he could leave her alone, but he was having none of it.

"You know, you're even prettier in person! That wanted poster doesn't do you justice!" He continued, and Robin crossed her arms, prepared to use her devil fruit abilities to get herself out of the uncomfortable situation.

But before she could do so, Zoro stood up, glaring at the guy harassing her.

"Oi, back off. She's not interested, okay?" He snarled, wishing he'd thought to bring his swords with him.

"Oh?" The man shot back. "And who might you be? Her boyfriend?"

"Why does it matter to you?" Zoro retorted, not bothering to answer his question. "She turned you down, now stop being such a creep or you'll really regret making me mad."

"Zoro, let's go…" Robin whispered, not wanting to cause a scene. She gently held onto his arm, and he nodded.

"Yeah, might as well." He agreed, but as he turned away the man pulled out a gun, causing a few people around to gasp and yell. Zoro didn't seem fazed by this however, and just glared at the man.

"What was that? Are you threatening me, Asshole?" The guy yelled and Zoro shrugged.

"I'd say it's more of a warning."

"You cocky fucker!" As the guy reached for the trigger, Robin crossed her arms and used her extra hands to grab the man into a headlock. Without missing a beat she performed a clutch, causing him to drop the gun and scream out in pain.

He fell to the ground and Zoro took Robin by the hand, leading her outside as staff and other customers rushed the man's aid.


	12. Chapter 12: Scar tissue

As the two exited the bar, Robin looked up at Zoro.

"You really made that guy mad." She pointed out, but she couldn't stop herself from smirking. "Though I must say, you did look pretty dominant back there."

He let out a chuckle as his cheeks began to blaze, still holding onto her as they made their way through a crowd of people that were stood outside. "Yeah well, he shouldn't have been such an obnoxious drunk. He was acting even worse than the Pervy cook, and that's saying something."

They began following the general route that lead back to the ship, and Robin took the lead due to Zoro's not so accurate sense of direction. She giggled and leant into him as they walked down the street.

"Yeah, you're right…" She uttered, then paused for a moment. Zoro noticed the change in her voice and looked towards her, and she smiled sincerely at him. "Thank you for what you said back there." She expressed, and Zoro felt himself blushing as he wrapped his arm around her waist. It felt natural for him to do so, and he didn't fight it this time.

"Hey, don't worry about it." He replied, before suggesting that they head back to the ship.

He would have suggested moving to another bar instead, but he didn't want to risk another event like that happening, especially when he didn't have his swords with him. And in addition to that, being alone with Robin back on the ship had its own appeal too.

"Want to have a few drinks there instead? We stocked up, so we should still have loads in." He added, and she nodded, also quite fond of the idea of spending some time alone with him.

"Yeah that sounds lovely, we can go sit in the crow's nest. It should be a lot quieter back at the ship now anyway." She pointed out, assuming everyone else would be getting ready to go to sleep at this point.

The two headed back to the Thousand Sunny, and once they arrived they both noticed that Robin was indeed correct, as everyone else had already gone to bed.

They made their way into the kitchen and Zoro searched the storeroom for alcohol. After a few minutes he emerged victorious, holding a casket of sake under one arm and a bottle of wine in his other hand. "Ready?" he asked, and she giggled.

"You think we'll need all that?" She asked questioningly, and he shrugged.

"Look on the bright side, if we bring all of this then we won't run out any time soon."

She giggled and held the door open for him as he made his way out and towards the ladder leading up to the crow's nest.

She offered to pass the drinks up to him so that he didn't have to haul them up himself, so Zoro climbed up first and then Robin used her ability to lift the Sake and wine to him before making her own way up.

Once they reached the crow's nest, Robin made herself comfortable and draped a blanket that she left up there over her shoulders while Zoro poured out the drinks.

He handed her the glass of wine before taking a seat beside her, and she thanked him as she took it.

"You know, it's been a while since I've sat up here of a night. It's weird to think I used to do it all the time before…"

She trailed off, but Zoro knew she was referring to the time before their two years apart. A lot had changed during that period, but his feelings for her was not one of them. The distance between them only made his feelings for her grow stronger.

Just as he was reminiscing about the past, Robin took him off-guard as she decided to ask him something she'd never brought up before. "Hey Zoro? Do you trust me?"

"Eh?" He spluttered, before he realised why she was asking such a question. He'd repeatedly told her when she first joined the crew about his lack of trust for her; after all, she had been their enemy during their adventure in Alabasta. However, his distrust of her didn't last long, and the more time he spent with her, the more he grew to see her in a completely different light.

"Sorry, I know it's a strange question." She added upon hearing his utterance, and he shook his head.

"No it's not. I completely trust you, and I have for a long time now. Sure I did have my doubts about whether you were truly on our side when the we at Water Seven, but once I found out the truth I was relieved that you cared about us as much as we cared about you. From then on I've never doubted you." He answered openly.

She looked down into her glass as she felt her skin flush, and faint smile appeared on her face. "That means a lot. I didn't expect any of you to ever fully accept me as part of the crew… The fact that you have makes me really happy."

He smiled as he took a mouthful of sake, and then turned to her. "You know, you're probably one of the crewmembers I'm the closest to."

She blushed and nodded. "Yeah, I feel the same way about you. You've always been there for me when I've needed it most, and I feel happiest when I'm around you."

He felt his skin flushing red in response to her statement, and he decided to ask more about what happened during their two years apart. They'd never really spoken much about it as of yet, so they both fell into deep conversation about their experiences, opening up about it for the first time. Robin told him all about her time with the revolutionaries in Tequila Wolf, and Zoro opened up about his training with Mihawk.

"So, how exactly did you get that scar?" Robin asked, referring to the large mark that covered his eye.

He looked down at his hands as he answered.

"Well, I got it because I was careless. I got distracted." He admitted, and Robin slowly reached out, her fingertips brushing against the sensitive skin over his eyelid.

Her fingers lingered near his face for just a second, and as she began to pull her arm away Zoro reached out and grasped her wrist.

Just as she began to apologise for her actions, he pulled her in close and pressed his lips firmly against hers.

Robin gasped in shock, but when the swordsman didn't pull away she relaxed slightly and leant in, kissing him back softly. As their kiss lingered on, she reached up and ran her fingers through his soft green hair, and he gently stroked the side of her face in response.

"Zoro..." She breathed as their lips finally parted, but she didn't move away. She was still pressed up against him, the two of them leaning against the walls of the crow's nest.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to do that." He admitted, his breathing heavy and his face and neck turning a deep red.

"I do… After all, I've been waiting for as long as you have." She replied, leaning in again for a second kiss.


	13. Chapter 13: Set sail

The following morning the Strawhats were up early searching for their missing crewmates.

They had noticed Robin and Zoro's absence the night before, but they hadn't begun to grow concerned until they awoke to find that neither of them had returned to their rooms during the night. It had been over 12 hours since anyone had seen either of them, and they were starting to worry.

"Zoro!" Luffy called out loudly as he climbed on top of the ship's figurehead. "Zoro, where are you?!"

He continued to yell the first mate's name and Chopper joined in, crying out for the two of them alongside his captain.

"Forget that cactus head!" Sanji shouted up to them with a hint of annoyance, before his demeanour changed and he began to sob. "This is terrible, where could my sweet Robin be..?"

"Calm down you three." Nami called up to them as she checked each of the rooms along with Usopp, Franky and Brook.

She knew that she had to be the one who kept a level head, especially when her captain and some of the other crewmates were in such a state of panic.

"Our best bet would be to ask around the town, to see if anyone's seen them. If they're not on the ship, then they're bound to be on land." She pointed out, aware that she was practically the only one right now that was thinking clearly.

Just as the crew began making a plan to search the island, Robin walked over to them, still dressed in her clothes from the night before.

"What's all this about?" She asked inquisitively with a small smile on her face as she watched the frantic crew.

Nami responded without turning around.

"We're going to go search for Robin and Zoro on the… _Robin_!" She yelled out her crewmate's name as realisation hit, and upon seeing that she was back and unharmed, the navigator jumped at the archaeologist, hugging her tightly.

As soon as the rest of the crew noticed Robin's presence, they all rushed over to her as well, bombarding her with questions regarding where she had been.

A few seconds later Zoro emerged, climbing down the ladder and making his way onto the deck. He spotted everyone huddled around Robin and he raised an eyebrow.

"Did I miss something?" He asked in a state of confusion, and Chopper gave a relieved sigh upon seeing that they were both okay.

"Oi! Don't act so calm about it you idiot!" Sanji called out to Zoro angrily. "Where have you two been eh?! I don't give a shit about you, but we were all worried about Robin's whereabouts!"

Zoro glared at him before turning to Robin, who giggled quietly. She decided to keep the fact that they had both fallen asleep together in the crow's nest a secret for now, as she wasn't sure how her and Zoro's new relationship would go down with the others.

"I'm sorry that we worried you." Robin apologised. "I went out to explore the town yesterday evening, and Zoro offered to accompany me. We got back late, and we didn't want to disturb anyone, so we stayed elsewhere."

Zoro smirked at the furious expression that appeared on Sanji's face. What Robin was saying wasn't too far from the truth after all, they just left out a lot of the important details, and slightly changed some of the facts.

"Yeah." Zoro nodded, backing up her statement. "What she said."

It was obvious that the rest of the crew wanted a more detailed explanation that that, but before anyone could question the situation further, Luffy Spoke up.

"Well, as long as you two are okay, it doesn't matter. Anyway, we found out about the next island, so we're gonna set sail!"

He seemed excited to set back out to sea, and it was clear that he was no longer worried about anything. He'd practically forgotten about the incident already, and his attention was now focused solely on their next voyage.

Due to the captain's dismissiveness regarding Robin and Zoro's disappearance, the rest of the crew were forced to drop the subject as well, so the crew disbanded from their cluster on the main deck and all began preparing to leave the dock.

Now that everything was sorted out, Franky went to the lower level of the ship to refuel and Nami made her way up to the ship's helm so that she could help navigate the way.

Meanwhile, Zoro was on his way to the kitchen to go grab something to eat, and Robin remained on the main deck, looking out to sea with a small smile on her face. She was curious about what was in store for them at the next island, so while all was quiet she decided to go ask Nami where they were headed.

Nami, who was studying the log pose on her wrist, looked up upon hearing Robin's approaching footsteps, and beamed happily at her.

"What's up Robin?" She asked as the raven-haired woman leant against the side of the ship.

"Nothing, I was just wondering where we're headed. Is it somewhere exciting?"

Nami was tempted to ask about what the two had been up to the night before, but decided against it, instead focusing on plotting a safe course for the thousand Sunny to take. But she would definitely bring it up with her later – she wasn't letting her get away with it this time.

"Somewhere called Genkaku island." Nami replied as she looked down at her log pose again.

"Genkaku, as in illusion?" Robin asked curiously, and Nami nodded. "I wonder what that could be… It sounds like an interesting island though, so I look forward to it."

"It was the safest path out of the three options, so I managed to persuade Luffy to take that one rather than risking the other two. But I still don't know much about it myself, aside from the name." Nami admitted, and Robin smiled.

"Well, that's okay. After all, not knowing is all part of the excitement of adventure." She replied and Nami sighed, wishing she could share Robin's laid-back attitude.

Sanji was sat in the kitchen, and as Zoro entered the room and made his way over to the fridge, the chef gave him a murderous glare. But Zoro ignored him, continuing to look around for anything he could eat.

"Oi, cook. Is there any food around? I'm starving." He asked as he routed through cupboards, and Sanji threw a spoon at his head.

"Just wait! I'll be making packed lunches soon." Sanji shot back. "Anyway, it's your fault you missed breakfast. You should have come down earlier. Because of you poor Robin missed hers too!"

Zoro shrugged. "If you feel bad for her not having breakfast, then why don't you make her something now? And while you're at it, make me some too."

Sanji growled in frustration. "You can't tell me what to do, you shithead! And I don't feel sorry for her for just that, I feel sorry for her for having to stay with you in the first place! I bet Robin couldn't wait to get away from you. If only she had asked me to go with her, I would have been much better company."

Zoro normally wouldn't rise to his bait, but this time he couldn't help himself.

"Funny, she seemed pretty content to me. It looks like she might like me more than she likes you, _Mr. Ladies Man_."

"Why you little bastard-!"

Sanji got up from his seat and Zoro unsheathed his sword, but just before the two could begin to fight, Luffy walked in, preventing them from fighting further.

"Oi, Sanji… How long before the packed lunches are ready? I'm hungry…" He complained, rubbing his stomach for emphasis. Sanji sighed and moved his attention away from Zoro and towards the captain.

"Alright, alright, I'll start making them now. They'll be ready in about an hour." Sanji replied as he made his way to the fridge.

He traded one more glare with the swordsman, who just smirked in response as he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and got up to leave.


	14. Chapter 14: A night in

An hour or so later Sanji left the kitchen and called the Strawhats into the dining area after having finished making lunches for all of them.

He had prepared a selection of sandwiches and personalised snacks for each crewmember, and now that that was done, he took his own seat and waited for everyone else to arrive.

Upon hearing that the food was ready, Luffy was the first to enter the room, and he almost knocked over a glass or two as he flung himself towards the table.

"Thanks, Sanji!" He cheered excitedly as he sat down and grabbed his lunchbox, not bothering to wait for anyone else as he made a start on his meal.

After a few more seconds Usopp, Chopper, Brook, Franky and Nami appeared in the doorway, and began to make their way over.

The last two to enter the dining area were Robin and Zoro, who took their seats in the only places that were left vacant, which happened to be just opposite each other at the end of the table.

As Robin sat down and picked up her sandwich, she met eyes with the swordsman who was sat across from her, and the two shared a small yet meaningful smile.

Neither of them uttered a word as they ate, and most of the conversation was, like usual, provided by Luffy and Usopp.

The two chatted away with the occasional input from Nami, but apart from that the meal was rather calm.

As he finished eating, Zoro leant back in his chair, and as he did so he gently nudged Robin's foot with his under the table. But rather than moving it away, he let the contact linger.

She blushed brightly in response to the sudden touch and looked up at him, unsure whether he had done it accidentally or on purpose. But she noticed that he had a small smirk on his face as he looked away, and she realised that the nudge had been no accident.

Other than that one subtle sign of amusement, he was acting oblivious to it, and it was only Robin who knew what he was up to as he continued his game of footsie.

' _Two can play at that game.'_ Robin thought to herself as she gave a smug smile back at him and grew a hand out from the underside of the table. She gently ran her nails up his leg, before moving on to stroke up and down his thigh playfully, placing just the right amount of pressure on his skin to make the swordsman react.

Zoro flinched in response to the unexpected contact, his whole body becoming stiff and his face turning bright red.

Robin gave a quiet giggle as she noticed his reaction.

As the two continued to flirt with each other secretly, the rest of the crew, who were unaware of what was going on, finished off their own meals. As they continued eating, Luffy decided to ask Nami a question about the upcoming island, and he turned his attention to the navigator, mouth still full of food.

"So, do you think there will be wizards there?" He asked her curiously, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Wizards? Why would there be wizards?"

"Because, you said it was an illusion island! Wizards do magic, so there should be wizards!" He explained.

Nami sighed. "I don't know, but I doubt it'll be an island of wizards. I guess we'll have to wait until we get there to know for sure though."

"I want to meet a wizard!" Chopper exclaimed enthusiastically, and Robin giggled.

She stopped tormenting Zoro for a moment and turned towards the rest of the crew.

"Well, we've seen stranger things than that, so there's always a possibility." She pointed out, and Chopper beamed happily.

"Yeah! We're going to an Island of wizards!" Chopper and Luffy cheered in synchronisation, and Nami sighed.

"Robin, don't encourage them…" She muttered, and Robin chuckled in response.

"Sorry Nami."

"I hope there are some good fights up ahead. I've not had a good battle in a long time." Zoro stated, filling up a stein glass with sake. He turned to offer Robin a drink, but Sanji had already finished pouring her one, and the two men glared at each other as the cook handed her the wine.

"Thank you Sanji." Robin said as she took the glass from him, and then giggled in response to Zoro. "Well then if there are any powerful enemies, I'll leave them to you since you seem so eager."

Nami shook her head at him. "Don't wish for powerful enemies, you idiot! We have enough on our plate right now without _you_ wanting pointless fights!"

Luffy laughed at Nami's response and poured himself some juice. "It'll be fine Nami! We won't lose to anyone, trust us!"

Nami rubbed her forehead, feeling as if she was the only rational person aboard the ship. "You guys are so careless, you know that?"

After a little while, the crew began to filter out of the room a few at a time. Besides the chef, who was staying behind to tidy, Robin was the last to leave, and as she got up Sanji spoke.

"Oi Robin, is everything okay?" He asked casually.

He was facing away from her as he began collecting the dishes from the table, but his attention was still focused on her despite the lack of eye contact.

Robin looked over, taken by surprise by Sanji's question. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

He paused for a moment before asking, "Marimo isn't making you uncomfortable, is he?"

He knew that the swordsman would never disrespect women, and he didn't think that Zoro would intentionally do anything to hurt her, but he couldn't help himself from wondering what was going on behind the scenes, especially after his and Zoro's clash earlier that day.

He wanted to know Robin's views on the situation and make sure that she was aware that she could talk to him if there was anything wrong.

"Not at all, he's actually been quite a gentleman towards me." Robin replied.

She wasn't too sure if Sanji's question was out of genuine concern, jealousy at her and Zoro's closeness, or just due to his rivalry with Zoro.

"Well, I'm glad. I hope he continues to be one, because if he hurts you, he'll have me to answer to."

Putting the fact that he was a ladies' man aside, Sanji cared for Robin, and he hated the thought of one of his crewmates being hurt.

She giggled. "Thank you Sanji. But I don't think he would, he has a soft side despite his rough demeanour."

"I know. I've known him for a long time, and yeah, Zoro isn't a bad guy." He agreed. "We fight, but despite the fact he's an annoying jerk, I do care about that bastard sometimes."

Robin smiled. It was nice to see another side to the chef. She could tell that he cared deeply for all of his crewmates, and that he felt it was his responsibility to protect them whenever possible.

"I know that you all have my back, and that's why I don't worry about things any more. I have a family here that love and support me, and I know that you wouldn't let anyone hurt me, so thank you for your concern Sanji."

She smiled sincerely at him and got up to leave.

"Enjoy your evening." He replied as he smiled back, then continued to tidy up the glasses and dishes from the table.

The sun was setting now, and Robin decided to spend some time to herself. She assumed that Zoro had headed off to his training room when he left earlier, and she smiled as she thought about the swordsman. She felt the urge to go up and see him, but she didn't want to interrupt him if he wanted some time alone.

She left the kitchen and began making her way to the aquarium, when she noticed that Zoro was stood outside holding something. He had been waiting for her, and in his hand was the book he had gotten her.

She blushed and giggled, approaching him. "What have you got there?" She asked, and he gave a small smirk in response.

"Yeah, make fun all you like, I know how strange this looks." He chuckled, then continued. "But I was actually wondering if you wanted to carry on reading with me."

Her blush intensified, and she nodded. "I'd like that, after all, I've not read any of it since last time. I didn't want to continue without you, and I had been hoping we could read some more together."

"Really?" He asked, blushing at the fact that she had delayed spending any more time on the book so that she could read it with him. "I'm glad. You didn't have to do that but, thank you…" Zoro replied as he handed her the book and opened the door to the aquarium.

The two made their way inside, and Robin sat down on the red leather seats before looking up at Zoro, who had shut the door behind them and took his place beside her on the couch. "Where were we up to again?" He asked, and she looked down at the volume in her hands.

"We had just finished chapter seven. He's just told her that her brother was the killer." Robin reminded him, and he nodded as she opened up the book to where they had left off.

"Right, I remember now." Zoro nodded, moving closer to her as the two began to read together.

After a few minutes went by, Robin leant against his side contently, and a blush spread across the swordsman's face as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Neither looked away from the book, but Zoro was finding it hard to keep himself focused on the words in front of him as he rested his cheek against the top of Robin's head.

He managed to maintain his concentration for long enough so that he could finish off the chapter that they were currently on, but once they had reached the end of it he began to feel his eyes growing heavy, and he relaxed against Robin as her calming scent surrounded him.

As Zoro fought the urge to fall asleep, he noticed that Robin was in the same position as him as she stifled a yawn.

He smiled, continuing to hold her close as he shut his eyes and let himself drift off.

It didn't take long before Robin realised he had fallen asleep, and she giggled quietly as she placed the book down beside them and joined Zoro, nestling against his chest and allowing herself to succumb to her tiredness.


	15. Chapter 15: A moment alone

The next morning Zoro awoke to find Robin still asleep and peacefully cuddled up against his side, and he felt his cheeks beginning to heat up as his whole face flushed bright red.

He couldn't help but admire how beautiful she looked as she slept, and he didn't even think as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against the top of her head.

The moment that he backed away, Robin's eyes began to open and she let out a quiet, content sigh in response to his kiss.

Upon noticing that she had awoken, Zoro faced away immediately.

"G-Good morning…" He muttered, his blush deepening. But despite his embarrassment he didn't move away, and neither did she, and she let out a quiet giggle as she noticed that even his chest couldn't escape the blush.

"Good morning Zoro, how was your sleep?" She asked as she looked up at him, her cheeks also rosy in colour as she continued to cuddle into him.

"I-It was good…" He replied, still visibly flustered. "What about yours?"

"It was the best sleep I've had in a while." She admitted. "Though, we probably should go see the others soon. We don't want them panicking like yesterday." She pointed out and he nodded in agreement.

He wanted to stay here all day with her like this, but he knew the crew would definitely start asking questions.

"Yeah, you're not wrong, they'll start overreacting like crazy again if they can't find us." He agreed, before pausing for a second. "Hey, but, before we go…"

He trailed off and Robin tilted her head to the side curiously. "Hmm?"

Zoro cleared his throat before turning his full attention to the woman beside him.

"I wanted to ask you if I can take you out when we get to the next island. Y'know, on an official first date." He stated outright.

Robin blushed and nodded in response. "I'd love that, I think a date would be really nice..."

"And I'll try not to be as awkward on this one." He added with a chuckle. "After all, I'll actually be prepared for it this time."

Robin giggled as she was reminded of how adorable the swordsman could be at times. Despite his mean exterior, the swordsman was rather caring and sweet deep down.

"You weren't awkward the first time, I promise." She assured him, before kissing his cheek. "Now I'm going to go get a bath before breakfast, so I'll see you soon."

He blushed in response to the unexpected action and placed his hand over the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him, watching her as she got up and headed towards the door.

' _Do you want me to keep you company?'_ He thought of asking, partly joking, but also kind of serious. He wouldn't pass up the offer if she said yes after all. But he bit his tongue, not letting himself make the tempting comment.

"Okay, I'll see you later." He replied as he sat up.

She looked back at him and smiled. "See you later. Oh, and I'm really looking forward to our date." She chimed, before winking at the blushing swordsman and leaving the room.

As Robin made her way into the bathroom, she noticed Nami, who had arrived just before her and was currently folding a bunch of towels that had been left to dry off.

"Hey Robin!" She greeted enthusiastically as she handed her roommate one of the clean towels that she was carrying.

"Good morning Nami, did you have a good rest last night?" Robin asked, smiling at the navigator and taking the towel gratefully before filling up the bath with hot water and unbuttoning her blouse.

"Yep, I did thanks! Though, I noticed you went missing again." Nami pointed out as she began undressing, and Robin gave an amused smile, taking off her shirt and placing it in the washing pile.

"Oh, that, yes. I just fell asleep in the aquarium whilst reading, that's all."

"Alone?" Nami asked curiously. "Or did you have company?"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. That's just a minor detail." Robin responded as she removed the rest of her clothes and immersed herself in the water.

"Minor detail my arse!" Nami replied, climbing in after her. "Come on, if the was something going on between you two last night, you can tell me~" Nami chimed in an attempt to coerce the information out of her, but Robin wasn't an easy target.

"Hmm, _'going on'_? Whatever could you mean by that?" Robin asked, playing dumb. "Surely you're not implying that Zoro and I were engaging in _those_ sorts of activities. Because if you are, then shame on you Nami." Robin responded, grabbing a bar of soap and a sponge before continuing. "As I said before, I was simply reading a book in my Library. The swordsman just also happened to be present."

"I-I wasn't implying _that_!" Nami yelled defensively as she turned bright red, then realised that Robin had revealed that he had been with her after all. "So Zoro _was_ with you!" Nami exclaimed.

"Yes, and?" Robin asked inquisitively.

" _And,_ that is strange. Zoro doesn't read books, so he must have stayed with you for a different reason." Nami pointed out, and Robin chuckled.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I think I managed to get him to be a little more open minded towards reading. I've already given him a book on Wano, and he's been keeping me company whilst I've been reading the one he bought me too."

"Wow he must _really_ like you." Nami uttered, shocked by how different Zoro was when he was around Robin. "Like, I already thought he did but, I didn't expect that sort of thing to happen."

Robin giggled as she began to wash her arms. "Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. I wouldn't know anything about that."

"So Zoro hasn't said that he has feelings for you?"

 _'Not explicitly no'_ Robin thought to herself. The two were acting like a couple, but neither had told each other about their feelings outright. Robin shrugged and shook her head.

She wasn't lying to Nami, but she wasn't exactly telling her the truth either.

"He hasn't."

"Do you have feelings for him?" Nami asked, washing her own body as she spoke. She expected Robin to answer her ambiguously like usual, so the navigator's expression filled with surprise when Robin looked down and gave a small smile.

"Well, since you seem so interested, yes. I guess you could say that I do have some feelings for him."

She paused.

"I think I may have fallen for the swordsman after all..." Robin admitted honestly, finally giving Nami the information she wanted. And the excitement shown on her face as the red-head beamed upon hearing her answer.

 _'One down, one to go!'_ Nami thought to herself, relieved to find out that she was indeed correct about Robin's emotions. Now she just needed conformation about Zoro's and she'd win the bet.

Whilst Robin was enjoying her bath, Zoro left the aquarium and began to make his way over to his room so he could get changed into a new set of clothes before meeting up with the others for breakfast.

He started walking across the ship and was half way across the main deck when he bumped into the captain, who had just come out of the guys' cabin. He looked like he had just woken up, and when he noticed Zoro walking over, he shouted over to him.

"Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed. "Where were you? This is the second night you've not come back to the room. If it's Usopp's snoring that's keeping you from staying with us, I don't mind telling him to-" Luffy began, but Zoro shook his head.

"Nah it's not that. I just fell asleep in the aquarium last night, that's all. I guess I was just really tired and crashed there."

"The aquarium?" Luffy questioned. "Why were you in there?"

Zoro stuttered, trying to think of what to say in response. "W-Well, I…"

"Luffy!" Usopp interrupted, saving Zoro from having to admit to his new pastime of reading with Robin.

"Me and Chopper are going to start fishing, want to help?" The sniper asked, and Luffy beamed, completely forgetting about Zoro and his nightly disappearances.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Luffy cheered, and Zoro gave a sigh of relief as the two ran off to the other side of the ship.

Without any further hesitation, he made his way into the guys' cabin and reached for a new set of clothes that were in a pile at the side of his bed.

As Zoro got dressed, he tried to come up with ideas for the date, but he was having no luck.

He couldn't think of many romantic things that they could do, and he didn't want to settle for something they had already done before, like taking her for another meal or a trip to a local bar again.

He wanted to take her somewhere new. He wanted to make it special.

He sighed, wondering if he should ask one of his crewmates for advice or just wait until they reached the island and choose somewhere spontaneously.

Upon realising that if he chose the former option he would have to confess to the others that he planned on taking Robin out on a date, he settled for the latter.


	16. Chapter 16: Fooling around

The two women emerged from the bathroom together, and Nami stretched as she felt the warm sea breeze on her arms. The navigator gave a pleased sigh as she caught the smell of breakfast in the air, and Robin smiled happily as she noticed that the whole crew was sat outside, enjoying their food in the sun.

As Robin and Nami looked over the edge of the rails, Sanji noticed them, and called up to them whilst balancing a stack of plates in his hands.

"Nami~! Robin~!" He chimed in a flirty tone. "I've made pancakes and smoothies!"

Robin giggled and began to make her way down so that she could join the crew, and Nami followed after her.

"It smells amazing Sanji!" Nami complimented as she received the plate from the chef and took a seat beside Luffy, who had his own plate stacked high with over a dozen pancakes.

As Nami began to pile a couple of pancakes onto her own plate, Robin sat down beside Zoro, who had his mouth full.

"This is a nice surprise." Robin noted, and he nodded in agreement as he stuffed more syrup-coated pancakes into his mouth. She reached for a glass filled with smoothie and watched the rest of the crew happily as they chatted amongst themselves.

As she listened in to the conversation, Robin realised that Usopp was in the middle of telling Brook about some of the many adventures they had had on the Merry, and he proudly brought up Kaya and how she had helped them get such an amazing ship in the first place.

Upon hearing the story in detail, Franky started crying and Luffy smiled, knowing how much the ship meant to Usopp especially, and remembering the early days of their journey together as pirates.

The whole crew up until Franky had some amazing memories with the Going Merry, and hearing Usopp telling the tales of their adventures never got old, no matter how many times he told them.

As the sniper brought up their voyage to the sky island, Zoro looked at Robin and the two exchanged a smile. It had been their first adventure together, and the mention of Skypiea brought back a range of memories. Some good, some not so good.

Just as Usopp reached the part of his story that signalled the end of their journey with their beloved ship in Water Seven, Franky began to sob.

"Waaaah! Merry is such a hero!" He cried, burying his head in his robotic hands.

Robin nodded. "She was a special ship, and we will never forget all the adventures we have gone on together. But we mustn't forget how Sunny is taking on the role after her, and how she has carried us for a long time too."

Zoro looked up, listening to her as he finished off the rest of his pancake stack.

"Yeah, Merry would have wanted us to continue our adventures like this." Usopp added.

He wished they could have continued travelling with Merry, but he had eventually come to terms with the loss of the ship, and he had grown attached to their new vessel, the Thousand Sunny.

The crew continued to tell stories to each other as they ate, and Sanji kept returning to the kitchen to make sure that they didn't run out of food, occasionally cooking up a new batch of pancakes so that he could fuel Luffy's insatiable appetite.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

After breakfast, Luffy and Usopp went to help Sanji with the dishes, and Nami made her way up to the second level of the ship so that she could tend to her tangerine grove. Brook and Franky were still outside, but they were busy playing music with Chopper, which left Robin and Zoro as the only two that were still sat beside each other on the main deck.

"Do you have much planned for today?" She asked curiously as she turned to face the swordsman, and he paused for a second, before shaking his head.

"Not really. I'm probably going to go train for a little while, but other than that, I've got nothing." He answered, leaning back against the side of the ship. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I've not really got any plans either." Robin responded, then hesitated for a second as she studied the man's expression. "Hey, Zoro…"

"Hmm?" He muttered, looking back at her. He watched her eyes as she looked down, and he raised an eyebrow as she remained quiet. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, I was wondering… Would I be in the way if I kept you company while you trained?" She asked, causing Zoro to blush at her indirect request. He shook his head.

"N-No not at all, you wouldn't be in the way. You're welcome to join me if you'd like." He offered, giving her a small smile. "Besides, you let me read with you, so now it's my turn." He added, earning a giggle from the woman sat next to him.

He liked having her by his side, and he was glad that she wanted to join him.

"Well, if you're sure that you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time up there with you." Robin added as she smiled back at him gratefully, relieved that Zoro didn't see her as a burden.

"Yeah, I'd like that…" Zoro uttered, trying not to let his embarrassment show.

He got up off the ground and offered Robin his hand, and she looked up at him with a bewildered expression.

'Now?" She asked, and he shrugged.

"Might as well, you coming?" He asked, and she beamed in response as she took his hand.

"Of course, Let me just grab my book first." She replied as he helped her up onto her feet, and they both made their way into the library so that Robin could collect one of her novels.

After she had picked up her book, her and Zoro headed up to his training room together, and as they entered the room Robin made her way to the bench and sat down while Zoro began to undress.

Robin couldn't stop herself from taking discrete glances towards him as he removed his shirt, and she felt a quiet gasp escape her lips as she admired his muscles as they flexed.

She had seen him shirtless many times before, but this felt different; it felt more intimate as he undressed in front of her.

Robin blushed and hid her face inside her open book, smiling to herself as the swordsman began his exercises. She knew that even she wouldn't be able to concentrate on reading in a situation such as this, so she mainly used her book as a way of disguising her interest in the man in front of her as he continued with his routine.

However, after a few minutes of doing regular sit-ups, Zoro stopped and looked over to Robin. He didn't say a word, but she noticed that he had stopped training, and she was curious as to why.

"You made those sit-ups look effortless." She pointed out as she directed her attention towards him, and he gave a small smirk.

"Yeah… They were. Too effortless in fact." He pointed out, and she giggled at his confident attitude.

He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "That's why I was wondering if you could help me out, if you don't mind that is." He asked in an embarrassed tone.

Robin was unsure where he was going with his statement, but she nodded regardless.

"Of course I don't mind, what do you need me to do?" She asked, closing her book.

"well, I was wondering if you could…" He began, but he trailed of, deciding against it.

"Nah, it doesn't matter. Forget I said anything." He muttered, turning his attention back to the floor.

He began his routine from the beginning, quietly counting to himself, but Robin grinned at the flustered expression that wouldn't disappear from his face.

"Aw, come on, I want to know now... What is it that you wanted me to help you with?"

"I was just wondering if you could… Help me with my push-ups." He mumbled, not looking away from the floor as he continued his movements. "But it was a stupid request, so don't worry about it."

Robin blushed. She wasn't sure of what exactly he had in mind, but she could come up with a pretty good guess.

She slowly got up out of her seat and walked over to him, before gently resting herself on his lower back.

"Is this what you had in mind?" She asked as she sat down, and his body tensed at the unexpected contact.

"E-Eh?!" He spluttered, his whole body blushing bright red. "W-Well yeah but I didn't expect you to do it…"

"Hmm? You said you wanted me to help, didn't you?" She replied, shifting her weight slightly. The swordsman sighed but continued on doing his push-ups regardless.

"Well, if you're going to do it, climb on properly…" Zoro muttered, and Robin blushed as she lay back, lifting her feet off the ground and putting her full weight on him.

"And I'm not too heavy for you?" She asked, and he chuckled.

"Of course not." He replied, trying not to think about the situation he was in and instead focus solely on his routine. "You're perfect."

It wasn't until after the words escaped his mouth that he realised what he had said, and he turned bright red as Robin began to laugh.

 _'Fuck… I can't believe I just said that.'_ He thought to himself, feeling as if he was going to die of humiliation.

"S-Stop laughing…" He groaned as he did another few push-ups, but the woman on his back couldn't help herself as she continued to giggle.

"I'm sorry, you're just so cute when you're embarrassed." Robin admitted, causing Zoro's arms to buckle from underneath him, and he suddenly lost his balance, causing the two to fall to the floor.

"C-Cute?!" Zoro repeated as he turned his head towards her, and Robin started to laugh again.

The two remained in a tangled heap for a couple more seconds, before Robin decided to get up.

"I'm sorry, I said I wouldn't get in your way and look what happened..." Robin apologised, but she still had a faint smile on her face.

Zoro shook his head. "Don't apologise, I wanted you to come up here with me."

Robin blushed. "If I promise not to tease you again until after we leave this room, do you want to try that again?" She offered, and Zoro laughed.

"Sure, but I'll be very impressed if you stick to that promise." He stated, but he too was smiling.

He liked her teasing, even if it did cause him to feel more than a little embarrassed.

"You have my word. No more teasing." Robin promised as Zoro got back down onto the floor, and she retrieved her book before laying down on his back. "For a few hours of course." Robin added. "Once we leave this room it's fair game."

He chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I think I'd miss it if you never teased me again." He admitted, and Robin giggled, opening up her book.

"I would too." She agreed as she made herself comfortable on his back, and Zoro began doing his push-ups again.


	17. Chapter 17: A new adventure

Zoro had just finished his training with Robin when Nami shouted up to them through an open window, telling them both to come downstairs.

"We'll be right there!" Robin called back as Zoro grabbed his shirt off the bench, and the navigator nodded in response before walking away to tell the rest of crew to go to the main deck as well.

After Nami disappeared, Robin turned to Zoro and passed him a towel so that he could wipe himself down.

"Thanks…" He replied as he took the cloth and began to rub the back of his neck with it. "And thanks for helping me with my workout as well."

She smiled in response, watching as he tossed the towel aside and pulled his shirt back on over his head.

"No need to thank me, after all, I-" Robin started to reply, but stopped short.

She was about to make a flirty remark, but she bit her tongue as she remembered her promise.

Zoro laughed, having caught on to the reason for her unfinished utterance, and he grabbed his coat as the two began making their way downstairs. "Nice work, I'm surprised you lasted that long." He replied with a smirk on his face. "But we're out now, so I guess we can go back to you tormenting me like normal."

Robin laughed as they walked outside. "Hey, I have some restraint you know." She shot back, but before Zoro could respond, Nami began her announcement.

"Everyone! The Island isn't far off, so we'll be dropping anchor soon." She declared and Luffy cheered, running over to the side of the ship.

"Can you see any of the wizards yet Nami?!" He asked excitedly, and she sighed.

"No Luffy. Just go get your stuff together, because we'll be leaving in less than 30 minu-"

"Chopper! Look, there's a wizard!" Luffy interrupted, clearly paying no attention to the navigator's instructions. She sighed in annoyance, watching as the captain jumped around excitedly.

"Here we go…" She muttered to herself as Chopper and Usopp ran over to him.

"A wizard? Where?!" Chopper squealed, and Luffy pointed. Nami couldn't make out what Luffy was pointing at, but she shook her head.

"Look Luffy, there's not going to be any wizards on the isla-" Nami began, but her utterance was cut short by the sight of a cloud of smoke that was beginning to transform into a shape that resembled that of sorcerer.

"Woahhh!" Luffy and chopper gasped in unison, and Nami yelped in shock. As the cloud dissipated, so did the silhouette of the magical being.

"What the hell?!" She screamed, grabbing Luffy by the scruff of his shirt. "This was supposed to be the safe route! What was that?! What if your _wizards_ try to kill us?!"

Luffy cowered, shaking his head in protest. "But Nami, Wizards aren't bad people!"

"How do _you_ know that?!" Nami yelled back as she let go of him, causing her captain to retreat. As Luffy scurried away, the archaeologist decided to speak up.

"Well, there's only one way to find out if they're bad people or not." She pointed out as she approached the side of the ship, and Luffy grinned at her.

"I don't like where you're going with this Robin…" Nami muttered.

"You mean we're going to go meet the wizards?!" Luffy asked, and Robin nodded.

" _Urgh_. You guys…" Nami groaned, before finally giving up. "Fine… Let's get ready to drop anchor…"

As they neared the coast, Nami instructed Franky to ground the ship while she checked that it was safe to go ashore.

The cyborg did as she asked, and soon the Strawhats had securely reached their planned location, Genkaku Island.

Luffy was the first to make his way off the Sunny, as he had jumped down onto the land below the moment the ship stopped moving. He didn't bother to wait for the others as he started looking around curiously, but upon seeing nothing unusual about the island, he pouted.

He had undoubtedly expected something magical to happen the moment he set foot there, and he was disappointed when it didn't.

"Hey wait up for us!" Usopp and Chopper called down to their captain as they ran to the edge of the ship, and as they both jumped down after him, Nami sighed. She knew that she'd have to keep an eye on the three of them to make sure they didn't do anything stupid.

Just as she made her way down onto the ground, Sanji shouted to her.

"I'll protect you Nami, don't worry about those wizards~" The cook chimed, before leaping down to join her.

The last remaining crewmembers also made their way off the ship, with Robin and Zoro hanging back slightly behind Brook and Franky, who were rushing to catch up with Luffy and the others.

"This should be fun…" Robin commented as she smiled at the man beside her.

She took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go and running off ahead to join the rest of the crew.

Zoro paused and blushed brightly at Robin's unexpected sign of affection, before realising that he was now a fair distance behind the others.

"O-Oi, wait for me!" He yelled as he ran to catch up with his crew, and Robin giggled again as she watched him rushing towards them.

As the crew reached a more populated area of the island, Luffy was determined to go hunting for wizards, and Nami decided that the crew should split into two groups.

She knew she couldn't leave the idiot captain alone unsupervised, so she suggested that her and Sanji should follow Luffy, Chopper and Usopp around in their search for the magic men. This left Brook, Franky, Zoro and Robin together, and Nami suggested that the four of them could search the island for any information that could be useful later on.

"You four can figure out what's going on here. Zoro, you said you want powerful enemies, so you'd better keep to your word and keep the dangerous stuff away from us." Nami instructed, and the swordsman rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever." He muttered back, before turning around and walking away.

Just as the swordsman walked out of earshot, Nami turned to Robin.

"Please don't let that idiot get lost. The last thing we need is to spend a whole day searching an unknown island for a stupid green idiot who can't tell left from right." Nami whispered, and Robin chuckled.

"I'll watch over him, don't worry Nami. You focus on keeping those three under control."

Just as Robin finished her sentence, Nami looked over to see Luffy walking up to a stranger.

"Hey! Are you a wizard?" Luffy asked excitedly as he approached an old man with a beard.

The guy laughed in response, but before he could reply Nami angrily stormed over and grabbed her captain by the neck.

" _What are you doing?!_ " She hissed at him. "You can't just go around asking people if they're wizards!"

"But he had a beard!" Luffy defended, and Nami groaned.

"Look, if me and Sanji help you look for one, will you stop causing trouble?" She asked defeatedly and Luffy nodded in response.

Robin, Zoro, Brook and Franky had just left the others, and were making their way through part of the town.

"What even is it that Nami wants us to look for anyway?" Zoro asked, confused by the navigator's vague instructions. "does she just want us to go beat up stuff?"

Robin shook her head. "I think she wants us to find out the story behind this place and its intriguing name. It must be called 'Illusion Island' for some reason." Robin guessed, but even she didn't really know where to start.

Just as they began to discuss where to start looking, another cloud of smoke appeared.

"Hey, this is just a thought but, maybe if we follow those smoke clouds we'll find out what's going on." Franky Suggested, and Brook nodded.

"Now that you mention it, that one is similar to the one we saw on the ship." The skeleton pointed out. "Maybe we should go investigate.

As the four of them headed in the direction of the smoke cloud, Robin turned to Zoro.

"So, about that date…" She mentioned, keeping her voice low enough so that neither Brook or Franky could hear. "Do you have anything in mind?"

Zoro shook his head in response. "Well, not yet." He admitted. "But once we manage to escape from these two, I'll think of something."

Robin smiled at him, and the two carried on walking towards the direction of the smoke cloud with Franky and Brook slightly in front.

"I look forward to seeing what you come up with." She replied, and Zoro blushed.

"Yeah but that aside, how do we even get away from the crew without it looking suspicious?" He asked curiously, and Robin smirked.

"Leave that to me." She assured him, as they entered a large group of cheering people.


	18. Chapter 18: The getaway

"Look! Over there!" Brook yelled as a third puff of smoke began to form. It was rising from an area in front of the massive crowd, and he turned to Franky, who was stood beside him. "It's coming from that raised platform, but we're going to have to get closer before we can see what's happening." He noted.

Franky nodded in agreement. "Oi, Robin, do you think you could-" Franky began, but when he turned to where the black-haired woman had previously been stood, he noticed that there was nothing but empty space.

"Shit!" Franky cursed as he realised that they had lost not one, but two crewmates. "I expected this kind of thing from Zoro, but not both of them! What do we do?!"

Brook shook his head. "As long as Robin is with him, the two will find their way back to the ship in no time. Besides, they are two of the strongest fighters, so I'm not too worried about them. Trying to search for them now would only cause more trouble."

"Yeah, you're right." Franky agreed. "I guess we should just carry on investigating the smoke for now until it's time to go back, and hope we run into them that way."

"See, I told you I'd handle it." Robin smirked as the two worked their way through the crowd. "Though I do feel bad on sneaking away from them. I hope they don't get too worried or run into any trouble without us…"

Zoro shook his head. "They'll be fine, come on, there's got to be something interesting going on up ahead if there's a crowd like this hanging around." He noted, then gave a small grin. "I told you I was taking you on a date, so let's go."

Robin smiled at his laid-back attitude, and the two managed to push through the worst parts of the crowd together. Once they emerged on the other side, they realised what all the excitement was for.

"A festival?" Robin asked curiously as she looked around at all the events happening around them. "I wonder if this has something to do with those smoke clouds."

"Probably…" Zoro uttered. He was taken by surprise as Robin unexpectedly took his hand, and he blushed at the feeling of her soft skin. "I-Is there anywhere you want to go first?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"I want you to surprise me…" She giggled back, and his blush deepened.

"O-Okay…" Zoro replied, holding onto her hand tightly as he began weaving between the different attractions.

"Let's see…" He muttered to himself as he looked around, but he suddenly stopped as they approached a large stage. There was a man dressed in a gothic style tailcoat and suit, and the entire audience seemed captivated by him.

"Now, my friends, I will show you that I am no mere street performer or trickster." He began, and Zoro raised an eyebrow sceptically.

Robin giggled, aware that the swordsman was not one for magic shows unlike their captain, but she leaned into him and he sighed, deciding to stay anyway.

He wrapped his arm around her, and the two continued to watch the man on stage.

"For my finale, I will show you a sight that far exceeds anything else you have witnessed tonight." He declared in an exaggerated showman voice. "But before I do, I will need your full concentration."

"Is this some kind of hypnosis shit?" Zoro whispered, and Robin giggled quietly before motioning for him to quiet down by holding a finger against her lips. He reluctantly complied, turning his attention to the guy on stage.

"Think about the one place you would go if you could go anywhere in the world. Don't think about the practicalities, it can be anywhere! So do it now." He commanded, and Zoro watched as the whole audience went silent. Another cloud of smoke rose up from his hands, and as it did so there was a collective gasp from the crowd.

Zoro thought it was all just mind games at first, until he looked up and saw the land of Wano above him, appearing inside the cloud. It looked exactly as it was described in the book he had read.

"Eh?!" He spluttered in confusion as he looked at Robin, but his expression changed as he noticed that she had tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she looked up at the sky. A different scene appeared before her, and she recognised the landscape, crystal clear despite not having seen it in many years.

" _Ohara_ …" Robin breathed quietly, and Zoro felt a twinge in his chest.

Despite not seeing the same thing she did, he knew immediately that she was seeing her homeland that had been destroyed when she was only eight years old.

The cloud slowly began to fade, and Robin wiped her eyes before putting on a smile. "Well, that wasn't what I expected."

Zoro nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I expected some idiot pulling a rabbit out of a hat or something. I guess that wasn't too bad."

"Well, I guess that's two mysteries solved." She noted. "We know what caused the smoke clouds, and we know that there is at least one wizard that resides here."

Zoro nodded in agreement. "So I guess it paid off ditching the others after all." He joked, and Robin giggled.

"I guess so…" She replied, before looking over towards a takoyaki stand. "Hey Zoro, let's go get something to eat."

He was conflicted over whether or not to ask if she was okay after seeing such an illusion, but he decided that, as she had dropped the topic altogether, it would be best not to bring it back up.

"Sure, I could do with some takoyaki." He replied, and Robin smiled as she took his hand and pulled him along, leading the way to the stand.

After waiting in line for a while, Zoro had bought them both takoyaki balls and Robin had surprised him with a small casket of sake, which he shared with her.

Once the two of them had finished eating they spent some time together looking around the festival and checking out the different stalls, but after a while they decided to go somewhere less crowded.

"This is nice…" Robin admitted as they sat down on a small hill behind the main stage. She rested her head on Zoro's shoulder and he nodded once, holding her close.

"Yeah, it is… I didn't know what to think of this island, but I didn't expect this." He responded, before resting his cheek against her forehead. "Thank you, for coming on a date with me."

Robin blushed brightly. "Don't thank me… I love being with you…"

The archaeologist turned her head and leant in, pressing her lips against the swordsman's, and his time he took no time to respond, kissing her back tenderly.

He teased at her lower lip and Robin blushed, parting them so that she could deepen their kiss. Just as Zoro's tongue met hers however, the transponder snail began to ring.

He groaned in annoyance, moving away from Robin to answer the call. "What do you want?"

"Where the hell _are you two_?!" Screeched the voice on the other end, and Zoro sighed. _Nami, of course._

"We went to check something out together, what's the problem?"

"Come back to the ship, both of you. _Now._ " She replied, before hanging up.

Even Zoro was scared of the navigator when she got angry.

"Is everything okay?" Robin asked, and Zoro sighed.

"Nami's pissed off, probably because we left the others without telling anyone. We should probably go back…"

He wanted to stay longer, and he was annoyed at Nami for ruining his moment alone with Robin, but he knew she'd only get angrier if they ignored her.

Robin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right, it's probably best if we don't anger her further, so Let's head to the ship…"

Zoro got up first and began making his way south but Robin quickly stopped him in his tracks. As she too got up, she gently tapped him on the shoulder. "Zoro?"

"Hmm?" He replied, turning around to face her. "What is it?"

"The ship's this way…"


	19. Chapter 19: Out in the open

"Where have you two been?!" Nami interrogated Zoro as he and Robin stepped back on the ship. "You left Franky and Brook alone, you know that? They were worried about you, you aimless idiot!"

"Nami, it was my fault." Robin stepped in to defend him, but Zoro shook his head. He wasn't going to let her take the blame when it was his idea in the first place.

"No wait, I was the one who asked you to-"

"Enough." Nami sighed. "I don't care whose idea it was. Just, next time let us know if you two want to go off somewhere to do god-knows-what so we at least know in advance."

"Yeah." Usopp interrupted. "This is twice now you've worried us by both going missing together out of the blue." He narrowed his eyebrows accusingly at Zoro. "What's going on?"

Robin and Zoro exchanged glances as they thought about how to answer, but before they had time to come up with something Sanji peered out from behind the kitchen door.

"Dinner is ready everyone." He called, and upon seeing Robin, the chef's eyes turned to hearts. "Robin~! I missed you!" He whined as he hugged her, and Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Shut it you pervy cook, we've been gone a few hours, not a few years."

"Oh yeah? Well sorry for not having a stone heart like you, Marimo." He shot back, squaring up to the swordsman.

A fight was imminent, so Nami stepped in to split them up as usual by going over to Sanji and asking him to sit with her.

Once the chef had his sights set on Nami, he forgot all about Zoro and followed her over to the table, taking his place beside her.

Sanji had prepared a roast for everyone, and the table was filled with a selection of different meats and vegetables so that the crew could help themselves. As Luffy was drooling over the selection in front of him, Zoro sat beside Robin and reached for the stack of sea king meat.

Whilst everyone began helping themselves to food, Robin turned to Luffy.

"So did you meet your wizards?" She asked, and he shook his head, pouting sadly.

"Nope… We spent ages looking around, but there weren't any wizards..." He sulked as he stuffed food into his mouth. "they must have been hiding from us non-wizards."

Nami patted the sulking captain on the back reassuringly, turning to Robin.

"Yeah, there weren't any, so now we can explore the island properly starting tomorrow." She said with a sense of relief. She was glad that there weren't any wizards.

"Well, actually… I think we may have ran into one, didn't we Zoro?" She looked at the swordsman sat beside her, and he nodded in response as he ate.

"R-Really?" Luffy gasped, and Robin giggled as she nodded.

"Uh huh, and as a matter of fact, us meeting the magician also solved the mystery of what that ominous cloud was. It seems that he was able to induce illusions using the power of suggestion." She explained.

Luffy didn't really understand what she was talking about, but he was just happy to know that there were wizards after all.

The crew talked about the island as they ate, creating theories about the strange individual that Robin and Zoro had met, as well as Luffy making plans to go capture a wizard and then ask him to join the crew.

The meal went by fast, and once they had finished, Robin turned to Sanji who had stood up to get more drinks for everyone.

"What's for dessert Sanji?" Robin asked curiously, and the chef smiled, stopping in his tracks.

"For you, Robin, only the best." He spoke as he abandoned his journey to the store room and walked back over to the table.

Once he approached her, his eyes turned to hearts.

"I'll be your dessert, I'm the sweetest thing around, after all~!" He erupted, leaning over and puckering his lips at the woman in front of him.

Robin giggled knowing full well that Sanji was only playing around, but Zoro gave an irritated huff and stood up, practically pushing the chef out of his way as he did so.

"Want me to get you a drink?" He asked as he stood between the two of them, blocking off the chef so that he couldn't make any more moves on her.

Robin blushed, shaking her head. "I'm okay Zoro…" She replied, and upon noticing how tense the swordsman seemed, she gently rested her hand on top of his reassuringly. "Thank you for the offer."

"Hey, bastard! I was in the middle of talking to her!" Sanji protested as he tried to push him out of the way, but Zoro ignored him and leant in, kissing Robin protectively on impulse.

She blushed brightly at the unexpected kiss, and then her blushed deepened as he moved away, revealing the stunned faces of their crew.

There was a second of awkward silence, until Brook decided to break it.

"I can't believe my eyes! _Even though I technically don't have eyes_ … Yohohoho!" He joked, and Zoro looked around the room, assessing everyone's reactions.

The rest of the crew shared blank expressions, in disbelief over what they had just seen.

Sanji was shocked, and he took a step back as he suddenly realised why Zoro had been so angry at him for flirting with Robin as of recently. He felt slightly guilty about it now, knowing that they both had feelings for each other.

"So, you two are…" Sanji began, but he was cut short by Nami's cheer.

"Hell yes! I told you!" She bragged to Usopp as a wide grin appeared on her face. "Now, fork it up already! I want my money~!"

Usopp sighed and handed over a stack of around three thousand beli to her begrudgingly, which caused both Robin and Zoro to look over at her suspiciously.

"Really?" Zoro asked, raising his eyebrow. "You made a bet?!"

Nami gave an awkward laugh as she shoved the money into her bra. "Yeah, eheh, about that…"

"Sorry to interrupt." Franky interjected. "But I need to ask something important…"

There was a confused expression on both of their faces as the cyborg made his way over to them.

He gave a smirk as he studied them both for answers. "So, who confessed to who first?"

In response to his question, Robin gave a small smile and grew an arm out of the wall behind Zoro's head and pointed down to the swordsman. As the crew began to laugh, Zoro looked up and blushed brightly upon realising what she was doing. "R-Robin..!"

"Yes!" Franky and Brook cheered, and Chopper and Luffy sighed in unison as they were forced to fork over their money as well.

Zoro's jaw dropped at the sight in front of him, and Robin gave an embarrassed giggle.

"It seems as though a lot was going on behind the scenes…" Robin noted, also surprised by the crew's involvement. She had known that Nami was, for some reason, interested in their relationship, but she had never guessed that the remaining five crewmembers would also have been in on something.

"Wait a second… _You guys bet on it too_?!" Zoro yelled in disbelief, watching as Nami, Usopp, Luffy, Franky, brook and Chopper all hung their heads in shame.

"All six of you were doing it?!"


	20. Chapter 20: A difficult decision

Zoro had left the kitchen and had moved up into the crow's nest.

He was feeling irritable after the recent event in the kitchen, and he'd decided to spend some time alone as he thought things over in his head, restlessly trying to make sense of his emotions.

Heaving a heavy sigh, he looked down at Robin, who was peacefully reading below on the main deck.

He was conflicted; he was glad that their relationship had been readily accepted by the crew, and he was happy that the two of them didn't have to go off in secret anymore, however he couldn't stop thinking about how the crew had had so much involvement in getting them together, and how it was only for the sake winning a bet.

It didn't sit right with him, and it was beginning to get under his skin the more he thought about it.

As Zoro struggled to decipher his thoughts, Robin noticed him, and upon seeing that he was sat alone she began climbing up to join him.

As she emerged from the top of the ladder, the swordsman looked over to her and she gave him a caring smile.

"Hey…" She greeted him, and he gave her a sad smile in return.

"Hey Robin…" He replied, barely able to look her in the eyes.

He wanted more than anything to pull her close, hug her and not let her go. But he resisted the urge to do so, instead deciding to keep to himself, closing off his emotions from the outside world.

Robin noticed his withdrawn attitude and sat down beside him with a concerned expression on her face.

"Is everything alright…? If there's something on your mind, you can talk to me about it you know..." She offered, and Zoro let out another quiet sigh as he turned to face her.

"It's just, it's about today. It pissed me off finding out that everyone had been betting on us. It's like our relationship is just one big joke to them." He admitted.

He hated the fact he was distancing himself from her, but he felt as if he had no choice.

Robin listened to him without saying a word, so Zoro continued. "I honestly don't know what I'm thinking right now. My head's a mess and I've never had to deal with anything like this before."

He paused for a moment and studied her expression, but she didn't show any signs of being upset or angry with him.

"I just don't think I can act as if it's nothing, and I need to know that what we have isn't just something that's based on a stupid game."

Although Zoro felt as if he couldn't find the right words to explain exactly how he felt, Robin understood. She took a moment to compose herself, and then finally responded to him in a calm voice.

"I know, I was shocked when I found out about it too… I couldn't believe that almost everyone was involved in one way or another." She began, looking down at her hands that were clasped together in her lap and taking in a shaky breath before continuing.

"Zoro, if you're feeling unsure about us and you want some time to think everything over alone then, I understand. And maybe we shouldn't just continue as we are. I realise you may want some time apart, and being together on the ship may not help things…"

She felt a dull ache begin to grow in her chest as she spoke, and she wished more than anything that they could just go back to the way things were before; before they had found out about the bet.

But she knew that it was bothering Zoro, and that it wouldn't be good for either of them if they tried to supress their emotions for the sake of staying together. Doing so could cause even more harm.

She loved him, so she knew that she had to do this.

Zoro winced at her suggestion but nodded regardless. Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, he knew it was for the best.

"Yeah, you're right… I'm sorry. I just, I know I shouldn't be with you until I know for sure that what we have is real..." He bit his lip and looked away, afraid of letting her see the vulnerable look that was on his face.

Robin felt her throat tighten and her eyes sting upon hearing his words, but she decided to reply to him regardless, trying to hold back her tears as she spoke.

"Then, I guess we should spend some time away from each other... Maybe in a week or so we can meet back up and see where we want to go from there."

She didn't want to think about the fact it could be over between them for good, so she held on to the small seed of hope that everything would be okay if they were just given some time apart to think things over.

Zoro focused his attention down towards the ground. "Yeah, maybe in a week from now, we can meet up at the same place that we sat together today after the festival." He suggested, and Robin nodded with a sad half-smile.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea… By then we'll have both had time to clear our heads and think things through." She uttered as she began to move away. "Well, I guess I'd better get going…"

"Y-Yeah, me too…"

Zoro looked over to her again as she got up and made her way down the ladder.

His heart ached as he watched the one woman who he had such a strong bond with walk out of his life. He almost wanted to call the whole thing off and chase after her, sweeping her up in his arms and telling her everything would be okay between them. But he didn't, and instead stayed where he was as she walked away from him.

He knew that this was something he had to do in order to figure out his true feelings, and to get rid of his conflicting emotions, but it hurt him badly to do so.

It hurt more than any wound that had ever been inflicted upon him during battle, because no training could have prepared him for this.

He continued to watch her as she walked across the deck, and when he saw her enter the library he climbed down from the crow's nest too and began to make his way off the ship and onto the island below.

Sanji had gone out for a smoke while the rest of the crew that were still in the kitchen continued to talk amongst themselves, unaware of the seriousness that was going on outside.

Nami was still stood beside Usopp and Franky, happily waving her money about as she bragged about her win with a cheerful smugness in her voice. Luffy had been following her around excitedly in anticipation of her promise of unlimited food, and he was beginning to get impatient as the navigator continued to ignore him.

"Hey, Nami! If you won, that means I won too right?" Luffy reminded her, and she smiled as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver key. She hadn't forgotten about her side of the deal, she had just been waiting for Sanji to leave so that she could do the exchange with her captain without him noticing.

"Here." She smiled as she tossed the key to him and the captain beamed hungrily as he grasped for it. "Congrats, you earned this. But don't let Sanji catch you stealing food. If he confiscates that key I don't have another one, so you lose your rights to the food."

"Yeah, okay, gotcha!" Luffy nodded, but he had already shrugged off her warnings as he made his way over to the fridge excitedly.

She sighed and shook her head at his carefree attitude, but there was a smile on her face as she watched the captain help himself to everything that was in the fridge. Luffy was a man of simple pleasures.

Now that she had finished dealing with Luffy, she left him alone to continue stuffing heaps of food into his mouth as she made her way over to Usopp.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you~" She giggled as she leaned onto the table beside him, and he rolled his eyes in response.

"You're never going to drop this, are you?" he asked, and she laughed.

"Nope! Though this was fun, so give me a shout if you want to make another bet sometime~!" She chimed, winking at him jokingly before heading towards the back door.


	21. Chapter 21: as the world falls down

As Nami walked outside, she spotted Sanji taking a drag of his cigarette.

She walked over complacently, still feeling satisfaction over winning the bet, but when she noticed that the chef was unusually impassive, even after noticing her presence, she raised an eyebrow.

Any other time he'd jump at the opportunity to flirt with her, so she knew that something was definitely not right.

"Is everything alright Sanji?" Nami asked as she approached him, and he sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke in the process.

"I'm not sure." He replied honestly as he watched the library door. He had seen Robin walk past him earlier with a troubled expression on her face, and he was concerned for her wellbeing.

"I don't know if it's something to be worried about or not, but I feel like something's happened between Robin and Marimo."

"Something's happened?" Nami echoed in confusion. "What do you mean?" The last time she'd seen the two of them, they were fine. She couldn't imagine anything serious going on in such a short period. "As in, an argument or something?"

Sanji shook his head. "I have no idea. It might be nothing, but they had been speaking to each other in the crow's nest for a little while, and when they'd finished talking she went to the library on her own and he left the ship not too long after her. It seemed strange for them to do that, and Robin looked troubled by something when I saw her, so that's why I think that there may have been something going on that we don't know about. I can't say for sure if there is something wrong, but my gut instinct is telling me that whatever the reason is, it isn't good…"

She felt her stomach lurch at the possibility of them arguing. She didn't want to see Robin get hurt, especially after she had finally let down her guard and exposed her true emotions.

"I'll go check on her…" Nami replied and Sanji nodded, drawing one last breath from his cigarette before disposing of it.

"If there's anything I can do, let me know." He offered as he turned towards the kitchen door, and Nami smiled in response.

"I will." She assured him, before heading across the deck towards the library.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Robin had decided that it would be best if she spent the night alone.

She couldn't bring herself to put on a fake smile and pretend that everything was fine in front of Nami, which she knew she'd have to do if she returned to their room, and she wasn't ready to return to the kitchen yet, as she knew that she'd have to face the others and they'd most likely notice that something was wrong sooner or later.

She reached into a hollowed-out ottoman and pulled out a spare blanket and a set of pillows, and then began setting them up beside her bookshelf. Once she had finished, she collected a pair of pyjamas that she also kept stored away and started to get undressed.

Just as she had finished changing into her nightwear and began to make herself comfortable, the door crept open and the red-headed navigator popped her head inside.

"Hey Robin! Mind if I join you?" Nami asked as she peered around the room.

Robin gave a small smile in response and shook her head. "Not at all, come in…"

Nami made her way into the room and took a seat beside her friend, a serious expression appearing on her face as she eyed the makeshift sleeping area. "Is something wrong? Do you plan on staying here on your own...?"

Robin contemplated coming up with a lie at first, but then after a moment she decided to just be open with her.

"Yeah, well, I guess I can't hide it from you…" Robin began as she turned to Nami and gave a quiet sigh. "It's just that me and Zoro were having a talk before, and he said that he's having doubts about us. He's unsure about his own feelings and he doesn't think he can be in a relationship with me at the moment, so I suggested that we both spend some time alone so that he can figure out how he feels."

Although Robin was trying her best to stay calm about the situation, her voice still wavered as she talked about their mutual agreement for a break.

Nami couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she sympathetically pulled her friend into a hug. "I'm really sorry, I would never have expected anything like that to have happened… Did he say what brought this on all of a sudden?" Nami asked with a soft tone, and Robin shook her head. She couldn't bring herself to tell Nami that this was because of her and the others.

"No, he didn't, but it's probably for the best anyway… He wouldn't have been happy if we had stayed the way we were…" Robin muttered as she hugged her back, thankful that she had her to rely on. She was terrified of being alone, and with Zoro gone and the others unaware of what had happened, Nami was practically holding her together at this point.

"This is probably my fault, I shouldn't have pushed him so much…" Robin confessed, and Nami moved away so that she could look her in the eyes.

"Do not blame yourself for this."

"But-"

"But nothing. You have done absolutely nothing wrong." Nami stated firmly. She paused for a minute before muttering to herself angrily. "I'll kill him… I swear to God he's a dead man."

Nami was set on going to find him, clearly infuriated by what had happened, but Robin shook her head.

"Don't, Nami, please. Don't say anything to him. He's not done anything wrong..." Robin replied, rushing to defend him. "I was the one who suggested that we separate, not him."

Although she was upset by what he had said, she didn't resent him for it, because she knew that he was most likely hurting over it too.

Nami sighed. "I can't promise that I won't…"

"Please…" Robin pleaded. "At least, don't be mad at him for this… And don't tell the others…"

"Robin…" The Navigator sighed, but when she realised that she was getting nowhere with this she gave up and nodded. "Alright, but I can't leave you alone like this. I'm staying with you tonight and you have no say in the matter."

Robin gave a quite giggle and nodded. "Well, then I guess there's point trying to dissuade you from staying if you've already made up your mind." She leaned back and motioned towards the ottoman. "I've got a spare pair of pyjamas and a set of pillows if you need them…" Robin replied, and Nami smiled, getting up to collect them.

"It's almost scary how well prepared for these kinds of things you are." Nami noted as she gathered the nightwear and the two pillows from the box. As she made her way back to where Robin was sat, she raised an eyebrow curiously. "That makes me wonder, what else do you have stashed around the place that I don't know about?"

Robin chuckled in response. "I'm not telling you, after all, you know how I like my secrets. It'd be no fun if I told you."

Robin was grateful for her crewmate's company, and the two girls fell into a relaxed conversation with Nami trying to help Robin take her mind off of the pain of her first breakup.


	22. Chapter 22: A brief confrontation

The next morning Nami was up early.

She had awoken before anyone else on the ship and had managed to slip out of the library without waking Robin, so now she was sat in the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands as she thought things over.

It had been a restless night, mainly because she had been worrying about her roommate the whole time, and although Robin had begged her not to go after Zoro, Nami couldn't bring herself to stay out of it.

'What sort of friend would I be if I just stood by and watched this happen?' She thought to herself as she attempted to come up with a plan on how to fix things between the swordsman and the archaeologist, and as she finished off her drink she started planning a route of the island.

"Knowing that idiot, he could be anywhere by now…" Nami muttered under her breath as she started scribbling a rough map down onto a pad.

Planning her journey would allow for her to make her way around the town as efficiently as possible, but then again, she was well aware that using logic wouldn't help her find him, since logic didn't apply to Zoro's sense of direction.

She decided to just leave it to chance instead, tossing the drawing aside as she made her way off the ship and began making her way into the centre of the town. She'd have more luck just searching all the bars until she came across him.

She walked for a while with no success, until she reached a side road that seemingly lead to another part of town and as she glanced down the street she noticed a familiar flash of green hair.

"Hey! You!" Nami yelled as she chased after him and Zoro turned around, raising an eyebrow as he saw the navigator approaching him.

"Nami? What do you wan-" He began to ask, but before he could finish she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

"How could you?!" She shouted, breathing heavily. "She cares about you, you know?! She really, really cares about you…!"

Zoro placed his hand on his stinging cheek and gave her a confused look.

"What are you- Oh…" It took him a second to realise what she was talking about, but when he did, he looked away. "You don't think I know that already?"

"Then why did you do that to her?!" Nami yelled back angrily. "Don't you dare play with her feelings. I don't care if we're part of the same crew, if you think you can get away with this-"

"The only reason we're doing this is because of you and your stupid bet!" Zoro snapped in response. He had managed to hold his tongue around her until now, but she'd pushed him too far.

Nami was taken aback by the tone of his voice and she paused, unsure of how to respond.

"I-I was just trying to help you two get together! Don't pin this on me!" She shot back, but Zoro had had enough.

"No. You were just being selfish, like usual." He retorted. "This is serious, but all you care about is money."

"Th-That's not true." Nami replied as she averted her eyes. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt wash over her as she processed his words. "I-I wasn't trying to…"

She trailed off, then looked up suddenly as Zoro began to walk away. "Wait!"

"What?" He asked without looking back. "Haven't you done enough already? Go back to the ship."

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't think that it was a big deal…"

"A big deal? Nami, because of this I've been having doubts over how much of what Robin and I had was actually real, and how much of it was just made up in your attempt to make some cash. How is that not a big deal?"

She didn't know what to say to that, and she looked away in defeat.

"I really am sorry…" She muttered, and Zoro sighed.

"Just, go back to the ship… I'm not planning on coming back any time soon, so there's no point in you staying here."

All of the anger in his voice had subsided now, and all that was left was dejection.

He wanted to ask her how Robin was; it was killing him being away from her, and he knew that besides himself, Nami was the closest person to her. But he knew that it wouldn't help the situation if he did, so he just walked away instead, leaving Nami behind as he made his way further into the town.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Nami returned to the ship after a guilt-ridden walk back, feeling terrible after hearing Zoro's side of the story, and clueless on how she could fix things now.

As she entered the kitchen she noticed that Sanji was now present, leaning against the table as he flicked through a food magazine.

She felt her eyes begin to sting as he looked up and smiled at her, but upon noticing the wounded expression on her face he got up and tossed the paper onto the table.

"Nami? What's wrong?" He asked with a concerned look.

"You were right…" Nami uttered as he approached her, and she bit her lip as she tried to supress the urge to cry.

"They did break up… Robin told me not to tell anyone about what happened, but I feel terrible… Zoro said that after he found out about the bet he started to doubt his feelings for her, and he said he's not coming back to the ship for a while..." She explained, and Sanji stayed quiet as he listened.

She paused for a minute, before adding; "It's eating me up inside, knowing that it's my fault…"

Sanji let out a sigh and gave her a gentle, reassuring hug. "It's not your fault Nami, they must just see it in a different way than you do, that's all." He comforted her, and she nodded as she swiped at her eyes with her sleeve.

"I know, but I still shouldn't have made that bet… This could have been avoided if I hadn't gotten so involved in it all."

Sanji paused for a minute, before continuing. "Whether that's true or not, it doesn't matter; you weren't doing anything wrong when you made the bet; you were just playing a simple game with Usopp."

He let go of her and gave her a small smile as he passed her a milkshake he had made before she had arrived. "Here, there's nothing that a bit of ice cream can't fix."

Nami gave a small chuckle in response, grateful for his attempt at cheering her up.

"Thank you Sanji…" She replied earnestly as she reached for the sugary drink.

He smiled again and reached for his jacket that was resting on the back of one of the chairs.

"Hey, don't mention it." He replied as he turned around. "I'll go talk to them both, okay?"

Nami didn't like the idea of putting all of this on him, but she knew that it would probably be better if she left it, rather than causing more trouble herself.

"Okay…" She said with a nod, watching as he opened the door and made his way outside onto the deck.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Sanji figured that since Robin was still on the ship, it would probably be best to go speak to her first.

He made his way over to the library, knowing that it was the most likely place for her to be, and he knocked on the door gently.

What followed was a moment of silence, before a quiet voice from inside told him to come in, and Sanji peaked his head around the door, noticing Robin on the floor with a book in her lap and a mug of coffee beside her.

She looked up from her novel and gave a small smile to him.

"Sanji? Is everything alright?" She asked, curious about his presence.

He nodded in response as he entered the room, then turned to shut the door behind him.

"Of course, actually I was going to ask you the same thing." He replied, making his way over to her where he leant against the wall.

Robin hesitated before answering, pondering over what to say.

Had Nami spoken to him? Or had he just noticed that she wasn't acting like her normal self?

Either way, she didn't want to worry him, so she simply nodded and forced a smile.

"I'm fine thank you."

Sanji wan't sure if it would be wise to bring up the fact that Nami had told him about everything, but he didn't know how else to approach the subject.

"I know what happened Robin… I know you told Nami not to mention it, but she feels terrible about the whole situation."

Robin sighed and patted the ground beside her, signalling for him to sit down.

She knew that there was no easy way of getting out of the conversation now.

She had hoped to be able to just shrug it off so that the crew didn't have to worry about her, but that was no longer an option.

"So she told you… Well there's no point in trying to hide it then…" She began as Sanji took a seat beside her. "Yes, me and Zoro are taking a break…"

He cleared his throat, and Robin readied herself for Sanji's hatred for Zoro to show.

She wanted to tell the chef not to be mad at Zoro for what had happened, but she knew that it would be pointless.

"Yeah, I can see why he's doing this. I know how that Moss-head thinks, and I know that this is probably the last thing he wanted to happen, but he wants to prove to you that he's serious about your relationship. Hey's not a guy who can take things halfheartedly after all."

Robin stared at him, shocked by his response. Not only was Sanji not in a sudden fit of rage over the news of their break up, but he was actually being understanding towards Zoro of all people.

Noticing Robin's lack of response, the chef continued. "You know, he probably feels that it wouldn't be right to treat what you two have so casually… That's why he reacted the way he did. Zoro's an idiot and he makes dumb decisions, but… I guess his heart's in the right place."

She knew that he was right, and that Zoro was only doing this because he was concerned about the amount of involvement that the crew had had in their relationship, but she couldn't help but worry that it was truly the end.

"Yeah, I guess so…" She sighed, and as Sanji had finished what he had come to say, he began to get up.

Before he could leave however, Robin spoke again.

"Thank you, that really did help…" She admitted, and he smiled, glad that he had been able to do something to help settle her mind at least.

"Don't mention it. I'm here anytime if you want to talk." He offered, making his way towards the door.

"Oh and Sanji…?" Robin asked before the chef took his leave.

"Hmm?" He uttered, worried that something else was on her mind.

Robin looked down for a second, before giving him a smile. "Can you make me another coffee please?"

He chuckled, glad to see that she was feeling at least a little bit better.

"Of course." He replied as he took the cup from her, and then made his way back to the kitchen.


	23. Chapter 23: The littlest things

Countless hours had passed since Nami's confrontation with Zoro, and now the swordsman was drowning his emotions in a stein of sake at an outdoor bar in town.

He was on his fourth drink since arriving and it was beginning to get dark, but he wasn't planning on leaving just yet. His high alcohol tolerance meant that he was so far unaffected by the sake, and he was not planning on going back to the ship sober.

He sighed as he looked down into his glass, which by now was half empty, and Zoro waved as a waitress walked past the table to get her attention.

"Hey. Can I get a whiskey?"

"Single or double?"

He paused for a second. "Make it a double."

"And would you like that neat or on the rocks?" The server asked, referring to whether or not he wanted ice with his drink.

"Neat." Zoro replied sullenly.

"Sure, a double whiskey coming right up." She replied, collecting the three empty glasses from the table before heading to the bar in the back.

Zoro gulped down the last few remains of his fourth drink while he waited for the fifth to appear. He needed something stronger than sake so that his mind could finally be at peace.

He didn't like feeling defenceless like this; it wasn't something he was used to.

The woman returned not long after, smiling at the swordsman as she placed the glass down onto the table.

"Here you go, a double whiskey with no ice, enjoy your drink. Oh, and if you need anything else at all don't be afraid to give me another shout." She offered, collecting the newly discarded stein glass from in front of him.

"Yeah, thanks…" Zoro replied as he picked up the whiskey, but he barely paid any attention to the server as he looked up at the stars that were beginning to emerge.

They reminded him of her.

Noting his lack of interest, the waitress left the conversation at that and made her way to the next table, which housed a much livelier group of individuals.

'She'd no doubt be admiring them too, if she was here…' Zoro thought to himself as he watched the glistening lights above him, knowing how much Robin adored the night sky.

He remembered how she used to sit in the crow's nest of the Going Merry of a night and watch the stars alone. He had joined her on more than one occasion, curious as to why she enjoyed stargazing so much.

That was more than two years ago now, and Zoro sighed as he reminisced, bringing the alcoholic beverage to his lips and gulping it down in one swift motion. He thought that filling himself with booze would stop him from thinking of Robin, but if anything, it just made him unable to stop the thoughts from flooding his mind.

"I love her, damn it…" Zoro quietly muttered to himself under his breath. It was the first time he'd allowed himself to admit that, even mentally. He slid the glass to the side of the table and rubbed his forehead. 'Why did the others have to interfere..?'

He knew that it was his fault that the two of them were on a break. After all, he was the one who got so worked up about the crew making a bet over their relationship, and he knew that he couldn't really blame his crewmates for everything.

Their intentions were innocent, and he knew that, but regardless of whether or not they had meant it he still felt some frustration towards them for what had happened.

"She might not even want to be with me after all this." He groaned as he thought about how he'd been the one to push her away.

It'd be unreasonable for him to expect her to just take him back immediately, and she might have moved on by now.

He tried to shake the pessimistic thoughts from his head as he got up to request a couple more glasses of whiskey from the bar; It wasn't like him to let something get under his skin so much. He had to just trust that everything between them would work out, and if it didn't, well, he didn't want to think about that possibility, but then again, he had to be prepared for either scenario, no matter how much one of them hurt.

Zoro collected his last two drinks from the bar and payed his tab before making his way back over to his table.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Back on the Thousand Sunny, Robin was lounging in the crow's nest alone while the others occupied themselves in the kitchen. The thought of partying didn't really appeal to her at that point in time, and she decided she'd much rather withdraw for now and spend some time alone.

She gave a small sigh as she wrapped a quilt over her shoulders and slowly grasped for her mug that she had brought up with her, warming her hands and looking up at the night sky above.

The stars were brilliant and bright, lighting up everything around her and creating a beautiful contrast against the sea below, and the sight caused a small smile to appear on Robin's lips, slightly soothing the dull ache in her chest that had still not subsided since her last talk with Zoro.

But the distraction didn't last long, and Robin gripped the mug tighter as her mind cruelly reminded her of him; of the particular moment when her and Zoro had kissed in that very spot, under the pale moonlight.

The memory was a bittersweet one, and she felt herself beginning to tear up as she continued to reminisce about the swordsman who had managed to steal her heart.

'I always expected I'd end up alone… I was fine with that reality, never having to rely on another person. I was my own partner, and I liked it that way...' She thought to herself, her brave demeanour fading away as she let the tears fall. 'So why does it hurt so much now..?'

After Robin had left Ohara, she never opened up to anyone. She had slowly learnt to trust in the Strawhat crew, but even then, she had never allowed herself to fall in love, because in her mind love could only lead to hurt.

She had a growing fear that when her and Zoro did finally meet up, he'd tell her that he didn't feel the same way about her after all.

She wiped at her eyes as she continued to worry about how vulnerable she had become, but her low mood was suddenly put on standby as she became aware of the presence of a figure climbing up onto the ship.

She crouched down so that she could get a better view and crossed her arms, prepared to attack the intruder until his face came into view. As the realisation of who it was hit her, she slowly relaxed her stance and slumped back down.

It was Zoro who had returned, and he was looking more than a little inebriated.

Robin continued to watch him as he began to make his way across the deck towards his cabin, and she felt more than a little bit relieved to see that he was alright, though it did hurt not being able to go after him; she missed his comforting embrace already, and she longed to go down to him, even if it was just to ask him how his day was and to hear his voice one last time.

After Zoro had shut the door behind him, Robin let out a quiet sigh and made herself comfortable where she was sat, deciding to stay up there a little while longer.


	24. Chapter 24: Before sunrise

Countless hours had passed since Nami's confrontation with Zoro, and now the swordsman was drowning his emotions in a stein of sake at an outdoor bar in town.

He was on his fourth drink since arriving and it was beginning to get dark, but he wasn't planning on leaving just yet. His high alcohol tolerance meant that he was so far unaffected by the sake, and he was not planning on going back to the ship sober.

He sighed as he looked down into his glass, which by now was half empty, and Zoro waved as a waitress walked past the table to get her attention.

"Hey. Can I get a whiskey?"

"Single or double?"

He paused for a second. "Make it a double."

"And would you like that neat or on the rocks?" The server asked, referring to whether or not he wanted ice with his drink.

"Neat." Zoro replied sullenly.

"Sure, a double whiskey coming right up." She replied, collecting the three empty glasses from the table before heading to the bar in the back.

Zoro gulped down the last few remains of his fourth drink while he waited for the fifth to appear. He needed something stronger than sake so that his mind could finally be at peace.

He didn't like feeling defenceless like this; it wasn't something he was used to.

The woman returned not long after, smiling at the swordsman as she placed the glass down onto the table.

"Here you go, a double whiskey with no ice, enjoy your drink. Oh, and if you need anything else at all don't be afraid to give me another shout." She offered, collecting the newly discarded stein glass from in front of him.

"Yeah, thanks…" Zoro replied as he picked up the whiskey, but he barely paid any attention to the server as he looked up at the stars that were beginning to emerge.

They reminded him of her.

Noting his lack of interest, the waitress left the conversation at that and made her way to the next table, which housed a much livelier group of individuals.

'She'd no doubt be admiring them too, if she was here…' Zoro thought to himself as he watched the glistening lights above him, knowing how much Robin adored the night sky.

He remembered how she used to sit in the crow's nest of the Going Merry of a night and watch the stars alone. He had joined her on more than one occasion, curious as to why she enjoyed stargazing so much.

That was more than two years ago now, and Zoro sighed as he reminisced, bringing the alcoholic beverage to his lips and gulping it down in one swift motion. He thought that filling himself with booze would stop him from thinking of Robin, but if anything, it just made him unable to stop the thoughts from flooding his mind.

"I love her, damn it…" Zoro quietly muttered to himself under his breath. It was the first time he'd allowed himself to admit that, even mentally. He slid the glass to the side of the table and rubbed his forehead. 'Why did the others have to interfere..?'

He knew that it was his fault that the two of them were on a break. After all, he was the one who got so worked up about the crew making a bet over their relationship, and he knew that he couldn't really blame his crewmates for everything.

Their intentions were innocent, and he knew that, but regardless of whether or not they had meant it he still felt some frustration towards them for what had happened.

"She might not even want to be with me after all this." He groaned as he thought about how he'd been the one to push her away.

It'd be unreasonable for him to expect her to just take him back immediately, and she might have moved on by now.

He tried to shake the pessimistic thoughts from his head as he got up to request a couple more glasses of whiskey from the bar; It wasn't like him to let something get under his skin so much. He had to just trust that everything between them would work out, and if it didn't, well, he didn't want to think about that possibility, but then again, he had to be prepared for either scenario, no matter how much one of them hurt.

Zoro collected his last two drinks from the bar and payed his tab before making his way back over to his table.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Back on the Thousand Sunny, Robin was lounging in the crow's nest alone while the others occupied themselves in the kitchen. The thought of partying didn't really appeal to her at that point in time, and she decided she'd much rather withdraw for now and spend some time alone.

She gave a small sigh as she wrapped a quilt over her shoulders and slowly grasped for her mug that she had brought up with her, warming her hands and looking up at the night sky above.

The stars were brilliant and bright, lighting up everything around her and creating a beautiful contrast against the sea below, and the sight caused a small smile to appear on Robin's lips, slightly soothing the dull ache in her chest that had still not subsided since her last talk with Zoro.

But the distraction didn't last long, and Robin gripped the mug tighter as her mind cruelly reminded her of him; of the particular moment when her and Zoro had kissed in that very spot, under the pale moonlight.

The memory was a bittersweet one, and she felt herself beginning to tear up as she continued to reminisce about the swordsman who had managed to steal her heart.

'I always expected I'd end up alone… I was fine with that reality, never having to rely on another person. I was my own partner, and I liked it that way...' She thought to herself, her brave demeanour fading away as she let the tears fall. 'So why does it hurt so much now..?'

After Robin had left Ohara, she never opened up to anyone. She had slowly learnt to trust in the Strawhat crew, but even then, she had never allowed herself to fall in love, because in her mind love could only lead to hurt.

She had a growing fear that when her and Zoro did finally meet up, he'd tell her that he didn't feel the same way about her after all.

She wiped at her eyes as she continued to worry about how vulnerable she had become, but her low mood was suddenly put on standby as she became aware of the presence of a figure climbing up onto the ship.

She crouched down so that she could get a better view and crossed her arms, prepared to attack the intruder until his face came into view. As the realisation of who it was hit her, she slowly relaxed her stance and slumped back down.

It was Zoro who had returned, and he was looking more than a little inebriated.

Robin continued to watch him as he began to make his way across the deck towards his cabin, and she felt more than a little bit relieved to see that he was alright, though it did hurt not being able to go after him; she missed his comforting embrace already, and she longed to go down to him, even if it was just to ask him how his day was and to hear his voice one last time.

After Zoro had shut the door behind him, Robin let out a quiet sigh and made herself comfortable where she was sat, deciding to stay up there a little while longer.


	25. Chapter 25: The pursuit

Halfway across the island Luffy and the others were still continuing on with their search for the wizard, but they weren't having much luck.

They had been scouring the east side of the island for a while at this point, and it was obvious that they were getting nowhere with their chase as they hadn't even caught a glimpse of any signs of magic.

"Luffy… We've been walking for hours. Surely if he is a powerful wizard he could easily hide from us." Usopp pointed out, hinting at the idea that they should come up with a more strategic plan in order to find their target.

The skeleton gave a nod in agreement. "Usopp's right. I'm not saying we should give up, but we should at least try to think of a way to lure him out somehow, rather than search around blindly…"

"Yeah but with what? How do you lure out a powerful sorcerer?" Franky quizzed in response to Brook's suggestion. He too was beginning to get bored of the wild goose chase that Luffy was leading them on.

The group was quiet for a minute as they each looked at each other in hopes of a solution.

"I know how, it's easy." Luffy uttered abruptly, breaking the silence as he grinned confidently and sat down, crossing his legs. "We just have to summon him."

"Summon him?" Chopper echoed. "What would that do?"

"Well if we make a wish, he has to grant it right?" Luffy answered as if the idea was common sense.

Before the others could respond to that, the Strawhat pirate quickly took in a big breath of air before bellowing out his request.

"I wish for meat!"

"Luffy that's not going to work. Besides, that's how you summon a genie, not a-" Usopp began, but before he could say any more a sudden puff of smoke appeared in the distance, completely disrupting his protest.

"It worked?" The four of them yelled in unison and the captain began to laugh before running in the direction of the cloud of matter, leaving the others to chase after him.

"Luffy wait up!" Usopp called as he, Brook, Chopper and Franky frantically followed their captain, but he was already far ahead of them, chasing the trail of the wizard.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

After finally catching up with their captain, the four Strawhat crewmembers looked up in awe at the figure in front of them, barely able to believe what they were seeing.

There was the man that Robin and Zoro had witnessed days earlier. There was no doubt about that.

He was even wearing the same tailcoat suit that he had worn on the day of the festival, and was directly below the cloud of smoke.

"S'cuse me? Have you seen the wizard? The one who makes those big cloud things in the sky?" Luffy asked the eccentrically dressed man who was sat atop a large, fallen tree trunk.

He gave a smirk in response to Luffy's interest in his magic trick before looking up at the slowly dissipating phenomenon.

"Those clouds? Why, those little beauties were made by none other than me. So based on that logic, I guess I'm the wizard that you've been searching for."

"Liar!" Luffy exclaimed angrily, and Franky, Chopper, Usopp and Brook all turned to him in shock.

"What are you saying Luffy?!" Chopper cried, upset after thinking they had finally found their target. "Were we wrong?!"

The captain turned to face him, but before he could reply to the reindeer's utterence Usopp stepped in.

"How can you say it's not him? We came all this way, and we followed the cloud and everything!"

"But… He's not got a beard… Or a pointy hat…" Luffy Mumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance. "He's just a big phony."

A hearty laugh came from the man who was listening in on the conversation, and he slowly jumped down from his perch.

"I'm not the kind of wizard you've most likely heard about. My talent is more than just some hocus pocus."

As if to prove a point he made another cloud, rubbing his hands together to form a light mist, which slowly transformed into a thicker, more dense haze.

"Woah! It was you!" Both chopper and Luffy marvelled, but the three others stayed composed and wary of the stranger.

"So, you're a devil fruit user are you?" Franky asked, earning a sly smile from the man.

"Perhaps, though I don't like to give away my secrets. it goes against a magician's code."

"So, you just make clouds?" Brook asked curiously, and the man's smile immediately disappeared, his pleasant expression having been replaced with a small scowl.

"Just clouds?" He scoffed. "Now listen here, Corpse. This is just the canvas on which I paint. The background to my art if you will."

The man's voice became more and more excited the more he spoke, and he continued to wave his hands in a showman's manner, creating more and more cloud cover in the sky above.

"Observe the true extent of my power. Look into the cloud and think. What is your dream?"

"Look into them? Okay…" Luffy replied, complying with the stranger's request without hesitation.

As the young pirate looked up into the white mist, he felt himself suddenly being transported to Raftel, his mind being taken over by the vision that was been projected upon him.

It didn't feel like just an illusion or a dream however; it felt so real and so vivid, as if he was really there, at the end of the grand line.

He let out a small grin as he processed what it all meant. Had he finally reached the location of the legendary once piece?

Just as the Captain of the Strawhat pirates marvelled over the sight ahead of him, a familiar voice called out from the distance.

"Luffy! You did it, I knew you'd become king of the pirates someday kiddo."

That voice… Shanks.

And beside the emperor of the sea stood someone else.

"Ace…" Luffy mumbled whilst still in a trance, and Franky raised an eyebrow at his strange behaviour.

"Luffy? What's going on?" The cyborg asked, gently shaking his captain who currently had a dormant look in his eyes.

But no matter how much he tried to rouse him, there was no response, and the illusionist had a grin plastered on his face as he watched the crew helplessly shake their captain, trying to get him out of the spell.

"He's experiencing the joys of my magic first hand." He explained, a look of amusement on his face. "Now, why don't you all do the same?"

"Oh no you don't. There's something shifty about this and I don't like it." Usopp interrupted, pulling his goggles over his eyes and averting his gaze away from the clouds around him as he focused only on the figure in front. "Make those clouds disappear, or I'll show you what God Usopp can really do."

"You're challenging me?" The man laughed, causing Usopp's cocky demeanour to waver. "You know, I can make people see good things. Happy things."

He paused.

"But with that I can make them feel pain like they have never felt before."

He let out a low chuckle as a cruel grin began spreading across his face. "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to really live your worst nightmare?"

With that the clouds suddenly grew dark in colour, and Brook drew his sword immediately in response to the sudden threat.

Franky noticed the growing tension and also jumped into action, following the skeleton's lead as he began unloading a round of ammunition on the figure, who had by now concealed himself in the dark mist.

Once the round of fire ceased, the clouds began to dissipate yet again and Luffy fell to the floor suddenly, clearly disorientated, but the stranger was nowhere to be seen.

"The bastard escaped." Franky cursed, and Chopper ran to Luffy's side.

"Wh-What happened?" Luffy asked, clearly not remembering anything apart from the scenarios that had been taking place in his mind. "I was at Raftel, and I saw Shanks, and-"

"He was manipulating your thoughts Luffy." Brook stated, and Chopper nodded in response, a worried expression on his face as he checked his captain over.

"Just as I thought, there's no physical damage…" He reported, before moving on to check his captain's pupil dilation and reaction times. "But that being said, I don't like what we just saw. Luffy was in a completely catatonic state."

"Catatonic?" Usopp asked, confused by the medical jargon.

"He was unresponsive to any and all stimuli." The doctor clarified. "He was completely fixated on whatever was going on in his mind…"

Franky sighed, not liking the sudden turn of events.

"Guys, I think we should go back to the ship now." The cyborg pointed out as he looked back on the way that they had came from. "We know that guy is trouble, so we shouldn't leave Nami, Robin Sanji and Zoro out there, in case they run into him."

There was a unanimous murmur of agreement to that, and Luffy, who had been quiet up until now, decided to speak up.

"So, I guess that means he won't be joining our crew then?"


	26. Chapter 26: Things I didn't say

A few hours later the crew had finally returned to the ship, and all of the Strawhats, minus Zoro, were gathering in the kitchen for dinner.

Luffy was his usual, energetic self again as he sat down at the table, watching Sanji excitedly as he began plating up the food.

Everyone was acting normal, and, noticing how none of the crew had even brought up the magician since their return to the Sunny, Nami decided to bring the subject up, hoping that they had finally given up on their plan of finding him and forcing him join their crew.

"So how did your search go?" She asked, feigning interest as she took a seat beside the captain.

"We met him!" Luffy exclaimed smugly in response.

He appeared to be unfazed by the events that had occurred earlier that same day and was clearly in a satisfied mood now as he reached forward, making a start on his meal.

Usopp decided to interrupt before Luffy could say anything more, leaning over to Nami from across the table.

"Oh we met him alright, and he was a grade-A jerk. So we've decided that we're not going to look for him anymore, right Luffy?"

Luffy gave a pout in response to Usopp's statement, sighing in defeat. "Fine… But you've got to admit that his powers were pretty cool."

Chopper sighed and shook his head at Luffy's naivety, but the reindeer decided to stay quiet and not bring up what exactly had happened during their encounter.

"So what about you guys?" Franky asked curiously as he turned his attention to Nami, Robin and Sanji. "Did you find anything interesting?"

Much to Nami's surprise, Robin decided to speak up before she or the chef had the chance to.

"Well actually, we did. We found out about the island's historical origins, and why it was dubbed 'Genkaku' island."

Everyone's attention suddenly turned to the archaeologist, who gave a small smile before continuing.

"Whilst in the centre of the town we met a local who was very accommodating, and they told us all about the background behind the town's intriguing name."

"Isn't it just called that because of all the wizards?" Luffy asked curiously, and Usopp shot him a look which made him shut up immediately.

"You're not too far off actually." Robin confirmed as she leant forward, meeting eyes with the captain who was sat opposite.

"The story behind the island suggests that it was home to numerous members of the occult many centuries ago. Those who practiced the art of witchcraft used to congregate there, until something happened that drove them away. But despite the fact that the practice no longer takes place there, the island celebrates its roots in magic. Apparently, the island now hosts regular festivals all year round where they encourage magicians and illusionists to gather and show off their talents."

They all remained quiet as they let the information sink in. It made sense now why their newly formed enemy had been performing at the festival, and why the locals were not fazed in the slightest by their mention of wizards.

"Members of the occult eh? That gives me goosebumps…" Brook responded sullenly before pausing, then giving out a hearty laugh. "Or at least it would, if I had the skin to get goosebumps on. Yohoho."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

While the crew were busy enjoying their dinner, Zoro made his way back onto the ship.

He had waited until the sun went down before returning, making sure the area was clear as he climbed up onto the deck. The last thing he wanted was to run into one of his crewmates, because he had a feeling he knew the barrage of questions that would follow.

As he walked past the kitchen, he noticed that the crew were all still eating, so he assumed it would be safe for him to sneak past unnoticed.

He was tempted to just play it safe and sneak up to the crow's nest immediately, but he decided that he might as well get some drinks from the storage room first. After all, he didn't know how long he'd be staying up there, and without a keg of sake or two, he'd definitely have a dreary night ahead of him.

Zoro walked towards the ship's stern, swiftly entering the small store room.

He could hear the rest of the crew talking inside, and he was able to distinctly tell apart Luffy's excitable chatter and Brook's laugh from the rest as the noisy gang continued to converse with each other.

He stopped for a minute to listen in on their chat, before quickly grabbed two bottles of different drinks and heading back outside.

Despite being able to hear the whole conversation quite well, Zoro had only been able to pick up on seven distinct voices; he hadn't been able to hear anything from Robin, and that worried him. He hoped she wasn't withdrawing herself too much from the rest of the crew; though, that particular thought was more than a little hypocritical, considering he hadn't actually shown his face on the ship for many days now.

A sigh escaped the swordsman's lips as he shook himself out of his train of thought.

'Now is not the time to be thinking about those kinds of things' he told himself as he began making his way up the crow's nest, pulling himself up the rigging whilst cradling the two bottles in one arm.

However, once he reached the top he stopped, his eyes meeting with Robin's.

"Sh-Shit…" He cursed, looking away immediately.

She had left the kitchen after finishing her food, using tiredness as an excuse to get out of socialising further, and decided to spend some time in the place she liked most.

"U-Urm, I-I didn't know you were up here…" Zoro stuttered, his mind no longer functioning right as he addressed the woman who was sat down in front of him. "I'll go find somewhere else to sit."

Just as he finished speaking, Robin shook her head and moved across, making room for the swordsman to climb up beside her.

"You don't have to. You can stay, if you want…"

She paused for a moment, before noticing what he was carrying.

In his arm were two unopened bottles; one containing sake, and the other, red wine.

She felt her face flush involuntarily as she looked at him with confusion. "Zoro? You don't drink wine…"

He blushed brightly. He'd not even thought about it, he'd just grabbed the bottle on impulse. He was so used to doing so by now that it was hard getting out of the routine of getting both of them a drink.

"Y-Yeah… Well, I mean you come up here to relax too, so I thought I should maybe leave one here. Y'know, in case you wanted it…"

"Zoro…"

"Hmm?" He muttered as he pulled himself up and sat beside her. He was still afraid to look at her, knowing it'd hurt both of them if he did so.

He kept telling himself that he had to stay focused and alert, otherwise he'd crumble and succumb to his feelings, but it was hard to keep that mindset when the woman that he had such strong feelings for was sat right beside him.

"Thank you, that's really sweet." She uttered, the corners of her lips raising to form a small, content smile as he handed her the wine.

"It's no trouble…" Zoro replied as he opened up his own drink and began to swig it straight from the bottle.

It may have been false hope, but in that moment, Robin finally felt at peace. She appreciated his presence more than anything.

Zoro decided to stay up in the crow's nest with her, and for the remainder of the evening neither of them brought up the topic of their relationship. But despite that, there was a shared feeling of ease between them as the two drifted into a calm conversation.

It wasn't entirely without awkwardness, especially in the beginning, but they eventually grew to feel calm around one another again as the night went on, and it felt almost as if things were back to normal.


	27. Chapter 27: Can't let you go

A few days had passed since Zoro and Robin had bumped into each other in the crow's nest.

The two had shared a few more fleeting conversations since then, but they hadn't really spent time together, nor had they talked about the question that was filling both of their minds; their relationship.

They had instead went about their separate business like usual, until Nami gathered the whole crew onto the deck to discuss whether or not to start plotting the route to the next island.

"We have no reason to stay here any longer. If we do, it's like we're just waiting for trouble to find us." She reasoned as she sat down beside Brook and Usopp. "So I think we should set out tomorrow evening at the latest."

Once Nami had finished her statement, the snipper gave a nod of agreement.

"Yeah. That creepy guy with the weird power is still out there, so I agree with Nami. We should go."

But Luffy frowned at the suggestion.

He wasn't fond of this idea, and he crossed his arms over his chest, not wanting to move on to the next island just yet.

"Shouldn't we explore more? We only got to meet one wizard, and Robin said-"

"I know what Robin said." Nami interrupted. "And the thought of being in a place that used to house members of the occult freaks me out, so I don't want to stay here any longer. If anything, what Robin said only further supports my point on why we should leave this place."

As the navigator and captain argued over when to leave the island, Zoro's eyes met with Robin's, and they both held their gaze for a short while before the archaeologist looked away, turning her attention to Nami.

"I see your point Nami, After all, we don't really have any business left here. However, that being said, it could be interesting if we did try to find out more about what exactly happened to those individuals and what made them leave… I think there might be some hidden gems in this town, don't you?"

"No way, I don't- Wait, did you say gems?" Nami asked, her eyes lighting up. Robin had said the magic word, and now Nami's mind was on the one thing the woman loved most. Treasure.

"Here we go…" Zoro murmured as he watched the navigator's worried expression turned into one of excitement.

Suddenly she stood up to address the rest of the crew.

"Robin's right, we should search the island for any treasure that was left behind!" Nami exclaimed, and there was a collective sigh from the swordsman and the sniper.

"I'm pretty sure that's not what Robin meant by hidden gems…" Usopp uttered in a quiet voice, and the archaeologist chuckled in response, before quietly shushing him.

"If that's what she wants to believe, let her… I would hate to crush her spirit after all this."

Usopp was about to protest, however before he could, the ship's doctor spoke up.

"So I guess we're staying at the island a little while longer then?" Chopper asked, looking up at Robin who nodded in response.

"It seems so. I think we often underestimate how much Nami is really willing to do to get her hands on some treasure."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Once the decision to stay on the island had been finalized, the crew all went back to what they had been doing prior to being called upon.

Everyone except Robin, who had instead had waited until everyone left before asking Nami to meet her in the library.

"What's wrong?" The red-headed pirate asked as she entered the large room and shut the door behind her, before turned to face the woman who was already sat down, coffee mug in hand as she mused things over.

"It's not that something's wrong, I'm just… Concerned." Robin began, not looking up from her cup as she spoke.

It had dawned on her earlier that morning that it was the day before her planned reunion with Zoro, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little bit anxious about it.

"Concerned? Why?" Nami asked, unaware of their plans to talk things over.

"When Zoro told me how he felt we decided we would give each other some space, so that we could both think everything through… And that time is coming to an end."

She took a brief pause as she looked up, finally looking her friend in the eyes.

As she did so, she noticed the confused expression on Nami's face, and the older woman let out a gentle sigh before continuing.

"Well, we decided that we would both give it a week, and after that week was over we would meet up on the island to tell each other how we feel."

"Ahh…" Nami responded, not really sure what to say in response to that.

She wanted to be supportive, but she was afraid of the outcome for her crewmate's sake, in case things didn't end up going the way that she wanted them to.

"And that day is tomorrow…" The archaeologist added in conclusion, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Tomorrow?" Nami echoed, and Robin gave a silent nod as the navigator sat down opposite her, visibly shocked by how sudden this all was.

Nami paused for a second.

"So… What are you going to say to him...?"

"I don't know… I guess, I'll tell him the truth." There was a quiet inhale that came from the woman as she hesitated, giving her answer some more thought.

"I'll tell him that I do have strong feelings for him, but I'll also tell him that I don't expect him to feel the same way that I do, and it's okay if he doesn't want to be in a relationship with me. I'll make sure that he knows that nothing will change if he doesn't want to be with me, and everything can be the way it used to be."

She had a mature tone to her voice, but Nami could tell that she was afraid of rejection, and that she was anxious about what the outcome of the following day's event would be.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Zoro on the other hand had headed straight up to his training room after leaving the deck, but he was finding it hard to fully concentrate on his exercises.

His mind was already occupied with thoughts about what he would say to Robin when he met up with her the following day.

Even he, the cocksure swordsman, was beginning to feel nervous about it.

'It'll be fine. Just tell her that you've had time to think about it, and now your thoughts and feelings for her are clear. She won't hold what you said against you… Probably.' He thought to himself as he lifted a massive, five-tonne set of dumbbells over his head.

But he couldn't help but think of what would happen if she did hold it against him. What if, after they had both had time apart, she realised that she didn't really want to be with him after all?

He'd have to face that rejection head on.

Some part of him wanted to back out of meeting, and wait a little longer to talk to her, but a larger, more proud part of him just wanted to get his feelings off his chest, regardless of what her answer would be.

Even if she didn't feel the same way, at least he could be honest with her, and with himself.

He sighed and placed his weights down onto the floor, grabbing a towel from the bench and wiping off the glistening beads of sweat that had appeared on his forehead.

'Just tell her.' He repeated to himself for a second time, before grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. 'and be prepared for every outcome, good or bad.'

Just as he began to exit his training room, he heard a voice from down below.

"Where are you going, Moss-head?" Sanji asked, holding a lit cigarette between his fingers as he watched Zoro climbing down the ladder.

The chef was done with his temporary empathy towards the swordsman, and their rivalry seemed to be pretty much back to normal.

Zoro gave an annoyed sigh upon hearing his crewmate's voice, and once he reached the ground he turned to face him. "What's it to you, idiot cook? Haven't you got girls to stalk or something?"

"Actually, Robin and Nami are busy talking so I decided to give them some space for now. But that's beside the point. If you came down here looking for food, you've got another thing coming-"

"Nah, I'm not looking for food. I'm going to go get a bath, so tell the others not to bother me okay?"

Sanji shrugged, not caring enough to ask questions. "Sure, whatever. But I will be making dinner soon so if you're not out in time I'll give Luffy your share."

"Do that and I'll shave your twirly eyebrows off while you sleep."

"Try it, asshole. Then see what happens. Don't forget, I make your food, so I hope you enjoy eating razor blades." Sanji shot back, but Zoro had already began making his way towards the bathroom and had stopped listening to the chef completely by now.


	28. Chapter 28: Listen to your heart

The rest of that day had been pretty uneventful, and the following morning Robin was up early.

She'd been awake since before sunrise and had found herself being unable to fall back asleep, so she decided instead to use the opportunity to her advantage and get a bath before anyone else woke up, and then once she was ready she'd head off towards her and Zoro's meeting place.

As she climbed out of the large bath and reached a towel to wrap around her body, the nerves began to set in again as she thought about what he may say to her.

She knew that Zoro was probably still asleep in the guy's cabin, and she very much doubted that he would be as anxious as she was about this whole situation, even if he did happen to be awake.

She gave a quiet sigh as she tried to shake the swordsman from her mind, and began to dry herself off, reaching over to grab her clothes that she had left on the heater.

'It'll be fine, just be your usual, poised self…' She told herself as she pulled on her top and adjusted her skirt.

As she opened the bathroom door and walked out into the crisp morning air, she was greeted with the scent of fresh coffee. This confused her at first, as she could have sworn she had been the only one awake before, but since she hadn't made herself a drink that morning that meant that someone else must have been awake and was busy making breakfast in the kitchen. Most likely Nami or Sanji.

She decided to go see who it was that had filled the air with such an appealing aroma, and as she entered the kitchen she was welcomed by Sanji's usual doting behaviour.

"Good morning my sweet Robin, I thought you might have wanted a coffee!" The chef chimed as he placed the coffee cup down onto the table, and Robin smiled gratefully in response as she sat down in front of it.

"Why thank you Sanji, that was a lovely surprise. I must say, I wasn't expecting this."

"You're very welcome!" Sanji replied happily as he danced around the kitchen, but this time he hadn't done it purely out of his usual woman-loving nature. This time he was doing it out of concern for his crewmate, since Nami had once again confided in him and told him about what Robin had told her yesterday, the about their meeting.

"So what are your plans for the day? The chef asked, and Robin gave him a smile as she took a sip from her cup.

"Oh, nothing too exciting, I'm just going to go for a walk on the island. I'll probably head off soon if I'm not needed here." She replied, trying her best to hide her true reasons and maintain her cool persona.

But Sanji could see through it now that he knew the truth.

"Ah, well in that case, would you like me to make you a packed lunch?" He offered as he made his way into the kitchen."

Robin smiled again gratefully.

"Thank you Sanji, but I shouldn't be long. Hopefully I'll be back before midday."

"Well then in that case, I'll make a delicious meal for you to come back to!" He replied cheerfully, and Robin chuckled happily as she took another sip of her coffee.

"I'm looking forward to it, thank you Sanji."

After finishing her coffee, Robin placed the empty cup in the sink before leaving the kitchen and setting off towards the island's forest, making her way towards her and Zoro's agreed meeting place.

They hadn't set an exact time for it, but she had assumed that it would be best to do so earlier in the morning so that the crew didn't ask questions about where they had both gone.

In any case, she had taken a book with her in the event that he took longer than she expected, and she took a seat on the small hilled area that her and Zoro had stopped at not long ago, opening it.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Many hours had passed by, and Robin had long since finished her book and was now just sat, looking up at the sky as she watched the clouds move across the sky.

It was well past midday now, though she had no way of knowing the exact time and her best estimate was based on the position of the sun above.

'At a guess, maybe four o'clock?' she thought to herself as she shielded her eyes from the sun's glare.

Where was Zoro? Surely he wouldn't just not show up like this.

He'd have at least told her in advance if he didn't want to talk things over, right?

Maybe he'd forgotten… Or maybe he just didn't care enough to tell her.

Robin let out a sigh as she shuffled around in her bag, looking for something to occupy herself, but there was nothing but some candy for Chopper, a pen, and a notebook.

She already felt stupid for waiting this long; she wasn't going to make matters worse by hanging around until sunset. Besides, she was starting to grow hungry now, and she knew that Sanji and the others back on the ship would begin to grow worried if she didn't return soon.

'So that's your answer then…' She thought to herself as she gave a sad smile and closed her bag, standing up and looking towards the direction of the ship.

She tried to hold back tears as she felt her eyes begin to sting her throat tense up. No way would she let herself cry over this. She had to look strong, even if she didn't feel strong.

She began to walk back, however as she emerged out of the dense area of flora she heard a voice not far from her, cursing angrily.

"Damn this fucking island and it's fucking magical illusion bullshit. Where the hell is it?!"

Robin stopped dead in her tracks when she recognised that voice.

"Zoro?" she asked, a sense of relief washing over her as she noticed the disgruntled swordsman that was walking in the other direction.

"Eh?" He uttered upon hearing his name, before turning around and halting suddenly when he realised who it was that had called him.

"R-Robin… I know I'm late, but it's because this damn island pulls tricks on you. I couldn't find the place where we agreed to meet up, and I've been walking around for ages."

'Same old Zoro…' She thought to herself as she walked over to him, resisting both the urge to kiss and slap him simultaneously.

She didn't know what to say to him now; her emotions were a jumbled mess and she couldn't make sense of them in such a short amount of time, so instead of facing her feelings she just smiled at the swordsman, putting on a brave façade before turning back towards the direction of the Sunny.

"I understand, let's go back the ship..." She offered, but Zoro reached out and grasped her arm before she could walk away.

"Wait… I've not been walking around here for hours just so that we can go back to not talking again." He stated firmly, and Robin blushed as she turned to face him.

"Wh-"

"I love you, okay?" He confessed, looking her in the eyes as he said it. "I love you and I know that for certain now."

He felt himself becoming lighter now that he'd gotten it off of his chest, though a feeling of nervousness lingered as he waited for her response.

"Zoro…" Robin breathed quietly, her blush deepening at his words.

Love? Did he really just say that he loved her?

"I hated it." He continued after noticing her initial shock towards his statement. "This last week has dragged on for so long, and you have no idea how much I wanted to tell you sooner. But even if you don't feel the same way, It's fine. I just thought that you deserve to know how I feel about you, and I didn't want to hide it anymore."

"I love you too…" Robin admitted, and now it was Zoro's turn to grow flustered.

"You do?" He asked, and she nodded.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't…" She added with a smile as she took a step closer to the swordsman.

He pulled her close suddenly, holding onto her tightly.

"Then, would you like to, you know… Give it another shot? Officially this time?" He asked, not letting go of her as he spoke.

"Of course…" She giggled in response, pressing her lips against his in a kiss that she had been longing for ever since their last.


	29. Chapter 29: Driven by you

"They're back!" Chopper called out as he saw the swordsman and the archaeologist walking towards the ship together.

Zoro was holding her hand in his as he approached the ship, only letting go of her so that he could climb aboard, and Robin had a smile on her face as she too pulled herself up onto the main deck.

As they made their way onto the Sunny, they were greeted with the presence of Brook, Franky, Nami, Luffy, and Chopper. The only crewmembers that were missing were Sanji, who was still cooking in the kitchen, and Usopp, who was busy fishing so that they could restock the aquarium.

"Hey everyone, sorry we disappeared again." Robin apologised as Zoro once again took her hand in his.

He wasn't ashamed of it, and Nami noticed their intimate stance which prompted her to turn her gaze towards Robin, who was smiling back at her in return.

"So, we have some news…" Robin admitted as she looked at man beside her, and suddenly everyone's attention was on her as the deck fell silent.

"You're pregnant?" Brook guessed to break the silence, and Nami raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? No…" Robin replied with a chuckle. "But me and Zoro are in a relationship…"

"Wait, weren't you already?" Luffy asked, clearly confused, and Nami sighed as she turned her attention towards him.

The navigator wasn't going to tell the captain about Robin and Zoro's breakup, especially now that everything was fixed.

As far as he knew, nothing had changed since that evening one week ago, so it was understandable why he was confused about the need for Robin to even make such a statement.

But even so, the two of them hadn't really been in a relationship back then, and now that they were, they wanted to be public about it.

That alone was newsworthy in the eyes of the navigator.

"They weren't officially together back then, idiot. Now they are, so be happy for them."

"What do you mean, official? That's so complicated…Isn't it enough that they just liked each other?" Luffy complained, but Nami ignored him.

"Congrats you two~" She chimed, pulling both Robin and Zoro into a hug. "Just remember to let me be the bridesmaid at your wedding! Oh and the godmother to your kids!"

"Wait, w-wedding?" Zoro spluttered, before becoming even more flustered. "Kids?! What's with all this talk about babies?!"

Robin giggled in response. "Of course, Nami. We'll keep that in mind, don't worry."

"Aww, you two are so cute together!" Franky sobbed in response to the news, also proceeding to hug the two of them in a very tight, metallic embrace.

"Th-Thanks Franky…" Zoro muttered, glad of the cyborg's enthusiasm but also wanting to be let go of as soon as possible.

"Indeed, it fills my heart with joy seeing you two so happy!" Brook commented. "Though, I guess it doesn't really, since I don't have a heart. Yohoho!"

Zoro sighed and rolled his eyes in response to Brook's joke, and Robin giggled happily at the crew's response.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Once the excitement had died down, the two of them headed up to the training room together, wanting some time alone after the chaos that had been the last week.

"Jeez, they seemed happier than I thought they'd be…" Zoro muttered as he sat down on the bench, referring to how well the crew took to the news of their relationship, and Robin nodded in agreement as she took a seat beside him.

"Well, I guess it's to be expected… After all, I think they have been speculating about it for a while. And with so much secrecy around them, I'm sure they're just happy to finally know what's going on between us." She replied, laying her head on his shoulder. "We did keep them in the dark about it for a while."

Zoro blushed and nodded once, wrapping his arm around her waist and gently resting his head against hers.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm just glad we can be more open about it now that they know… You know, about us and everything…" He admitted, a faint blush reappearing on his face.

"Yeah, me too…" Robin replied, before noticing the redness that was appearing in his cheeks.

She gave a quiet chuckle in response.

"What is it? You're blushing."

"Well, I just never thought I'd be in this situation. 'guess it still feels a bit unreal to me." He admitted, before being taken off guard by Robin's lips as she kissed him softly, and he didn't hesitate to pull her close.

"I understand." She whispered, resting her forehead against his as she spoke. "Looking back on the way that things used to be, I'd never have thought you'd end up being mine…"

She was referring to his coldness towards her when they had first met, and his reluctance to even be near her.

She would never have imagined back then that they would be here now, in his training room, alone.

He cut her off, kissing her again, but this time, with more passion in his movements.

He knew he wasn't the best with words, so he decided to show her his feelings through actions instead.

Robin felt her cheeks and body heat up as he pulled her onto his lap, his tongue meeting hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with a deep longing.

He had to hold back a moan as she nibbled on his lower lip playfully, and he stroked along her curves before allowing his hands to rest on her hips, their mouths momentarily parting for air.

As the swordsman caught his breath, Robin felt a blush spread across her cheeks.

"What is it? You're blushing." Zoro teased, a smug grin appearing on his face as he mimicked her earlier words. But he was suddenly taken off guard when a set of six hands grew out of the bench, pulling him down onto his back.

"Yes, and so are you." Robin replied with a smirk, noticing her partner's embarrassed expression as he was pinned to the seat by her devil fruit powers.

She climbed above him and kissed him romantically, and the additional hands began to disappear as she stroked down his chest, her concentration ebbing as she felt his firm muscles under her fingertips.

They felt amazing, and she felt her body beginning to react as her fingers slowly worked her way down his abdomen.

Now that he was free from her grasp he reached up and slid his hands under her shirt, cupping her very ample breasts, which caused the woman to gasp quietly in response.

The noise affected Zoro in ways that he couldn't believe, and he bit his lip as he felt the lust grow inside of him. He wanted her.

He felt his pants tightening as he gently stroked over her nipples with his thumb, and Robin was also clearly showing signs of arousal as his hands impatiently explored her upper body.

She blushed as she pulled her shirt up over her head and tossed the piece of cloth down onto the ground, feeling sudden embarrassment as she exposed herself to the younger man below her.

But she trusted him, and she felt safe letting her guard down in front of him.

Zoro reacted similarly as he watched her undress, his face turning red in embarrassment as his eyes explored her body, his desire for her growing by the second.

She was even more beautiful than had imagined her to be.

He couldn't resist pulling her closer, kissing her once again as he massaged her breasts, and Robin didn't try to hold back her moans of pleasure as he did so, instead arching her back and giving in to the sensation.

Zoro continued to kiss and caress her tenderly as she reached down to unbutton his pants, and he felt sudden relief when he was no longer bound by the tight black jeans.

He let out a muffed groan and quickly separated his mouth from hers so that he could pull off his shirt, and while he did so Robin took the chance to remove her own final pieces of clothing, before resuming from where they'd left of.

He climbed above her, his lips brushing against her neck and leaving a mess of love bites on her throat as she guided him to where she wanted him, and he gave another lustful moan as he felt her soft skin brush against his.

Robin would never not be surprised by how strong the swordsman was, but despite his overwhelming power and his ever-growing desire for her, he wasn't rough or aggressive.

Instead his touch remained soft and caring as he entered her, and despite the fact that they both were inexperienced, they quickly learnt how to drive one another crazy as they made love on the training room floor.

"I love you…" She whispered breathlessly in his ear once it was over, and he held her close as he too tried to catch his breath.

He still couldn't quite believe that they had just done that.

"I love you too…" He replied, stroking her hair adoringly as she once again traced his muscles with her fingertips.

They both lay there for a short while, before Zoro eventually decided to break the peaceful silence.

"Hey, do you want to go somewhere a little bit more comfortable? I'm guessing the floor probably isn't the most forgiving mattress…" He offered, and Robin giggled in response.

Now that the moment had passed she realised that it hadn't been the most practical of places to have had their first truly intimate moment together.

"We could go to the library if you'd like? I have a spare bed set up there." She paused for a second as she sat up and reached for her skirt and top. "I would have suggested my room but I don't think Nami would appreciate it if we ended up going back there."

"Yeah, me neither. But the library sounds good." Zoro agreed, grabbing his pants off the floor and pulling them on. "We should probably head down now so we can avoid the others, because I can only imagine the kinds of questions they'd ask if they found out."

Robin nodded. "Yeah, that's one conversation I want to avoid at all costs. Let's go."


	30. Chapter 30: Aftermath

After they had finished getting dressed, Robin and Zoro snuck down from the training room together, trying their best not to be seen by the rest of the crew as the they hurried to the library.

Luckily for the two of them, the crew were nowhere to be seen due to the fact they were all currently busy eating in the kitchen, so it was rather easy for them to make their way across the main deck without being spotted.

Although the idea of food was tempting, so was sleep, and they continued to make their way to their destination until a sudden interruption came in the form of a quiet growl resonating from Zoro's stomach.

"Would you like to go get something first?" Robin asked and Zoro shrugged in response. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten all day, so the idea of going to get food sounded pretty appealing to him then.

"Sure, we might as well go join the others for a little while before we disappear again." He reasoned, before Robin decided to point out one obvious flaw involved with walking into a room filled with the other members of the straw hat crew.

"I'm all for joining them for dinner, but… What should I do about these?"

She swiftly motioned towards the marks on her neck, and Zoro blushed in response.

"Oh. Shit…" He cursed as what she was saying began to sink in.

He hadn't realised the extent of the evidence until now, but he had left a scatter of large purple love bites down her neck, and he could tell just from a glance that they would not be easy to cover.

He paused for a couple of seconds, before finally coming up with a solution.

Granted, it wasn't a great solution, but it was the only one they had.

"Okay, I think I have an idea."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

"My sweet Robin! I'm sorry the food took so long!"

Sanji's voice rang as the two missing crewmembers walked into the kitchen together, and Zoro's arm unapologetically wrapped around Robin's waist in response to the chef's flirtatious attitude.

But the chef disregarded Zoro's actions as he continued to address only Robin, pulling out a chair for her and motioning for her to sit down.

"I made a selection of different curry dishes, so please dig in!"

"Don't mind if I do." The swordsman replied, letting go of Robin so that he could pick up a dish.

"Oi Marimo! I wasn't talking to you!" Sanji snapped, but Zoro ignored him as he made his way over to the table and shovelled a generous proportion of the food into a bowl, sitting down in one of the two spare seats and not hesitating as he began to stuff his mouth with the curry.

Robin chuckled as she watched the two men bickering before taking her own seat beside Nami and reaching for one of the remaining bowls in the process.

"Thank you Sanji, it all looks very delicious." She replied politely as she too began to fill her dish with curry, and the chef's expression turned complacent in response to her praise.

"Why thank you! I enjoy making only the best kinds of meals for you~!"

Zoro rolled his eyes as he mumbled something along the lines of 'stupid perverted cook', but it was barely audible due to the amount of food that he was continuing to heap into his mouth.

"It's so good to have everything back to normal." Nami sighed, and the raven-haired woman nodded in agreement.

"It is. I'm happy to see that nothing much has changed..." She admitted, relieved that the crew didn't treat her or Zoro differently after finding out about their relationship.

"Yeah, me too." Nami replied, before pausing and narrowing her eyebrows at Robin's odd choice of attire.

There was a familiar looking black bandana wrapped around the woman's neck, expertly hiding the marks that Zoro had left on her skin not long before.

It looked very out of place on Robin, and the Navigator couldn't help but wonder what the reason was for the sudden change in style.

"You going for a new look or something?" Nami asked her, before realising whose bandana it was, and then a moment later, why it was there.

"Wait a second… Robin! Did you-?!" Nami began to exclaim in a hushed screech as she caught on to the situation at hand, but Robin discretely silenced her, growing an extra pair of hands so that she could cover the navigator's mouth.

"Quieten down, before the others hear." Robin whispered as she picked up her fork.

Luckily the rest of the crew weren't paying them any attention, and Robin knew that even if they had heard, they were probably too dense to catch on to it on their own. Nami had been the only person that the archaeologist thought would be observant enough to figure it out in the first place, and it turned out that she was right.

"Don't worry, if you really want to know the reason for why I'm wearing this, I can tell you later, but for now just pretend you haven't noticed." Robin offered, making the extra hands disappear as she began eating her meal, but there was a muffled groan from the woman beside her as she rubbed her forehead in disgust.

"If it's what I think it is, I really don't want to know." Nami retorted, shaking her head. "You two are shameless, you know that?"

"I disagree. If we were that shameless, then I wouldn't be wearing this bandana, would I?" Robin countered, still maintaining the same hushed tone of voice as Zoro looked over.

Upon seeing Nami's repulsed expression, he realised what they had been talking about and the swordsman let out a quiet, amused snigger before going back to his meal.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Everyone had finished with their meals when Nami turned once again to face Robin, who was leaning back in her chair and coolly sipping at her wine as she watched the others conversing.

But despite her attention being on the other crew members, it didn't take long for the archaeologist to notice the navigator's glance.

"Hmm?" She uttered curiously, resting her chin on her hand as she looked over. "Is everything okay Nami?"

"Of course." She replied, before pausing for a moment while she thought. "Hey, do you think you could help me get some stuff from the store room?"

"Certainly, but what is it you need?" Robin enquired curiously, but before Nami could reply Sanji leant over, an exaggerated grin appearing on his face as he did so.

"Whatever it is, I can get it for you Nami~"

"No, it's okay Sanji, really…" Nami assured him, eager to turn down his offer.

Any other time she would have likely accepted his doting behaviour, but not this time. This time she needed Robin to go with her, and only Robin.

"It's no hassle, don't worry." Robin added, sensing her friend's strange behaviour as she got up out of her seat and smiled at the two of them. "Show me what it is you need me to carry."

Nami nodded once and got up too, leading Robin to the store room and leaving Sanji behind.

Once inside, the navigator shut the door and turned to her crewmate, a mixed expression of intrigue and disgust on her face.

"So, you and Zoro…" Nami began, but stopped when she saw the amused look on Robin's face.

There was no doubt in her mind now; she could very easily guess what had happened between the two of them.

"Yes." Robin confirmed after realising that Nami didn't plan on finishing her sentence.

"Just now..?" Nami quizzed, not sure if she wanted to know the answer or not.

"About an hour ago."

Nami took a couple of seconds to process that, before grimacing slightly.

"Ew."

Robin gave a quiet giggle at her friend's clear internal conflict.

It was obvious that on one hand, Nami wanted to know all the gossip, but on the other hand, this was Zoro they were talking about, and that was something the navigator never wanted to think about again. Ever.

"I can't believe you two…" Nami sighed, but her lips were turning up into a faint smile. "But I'm glad that everything worked out, it's a real relief, seeing everything go back to the way it was."

"It is…" Robin agreed as she leant against a keg of sake. "And thank you for all of your help, I'm sure Zoro would thank you too if he wasn't so stubborn."

Nami felt her own cheeks redden at Robin's words of thanks, but she didn't feel like she had done anything at all to help.

Hell, if anything she thought that she had just caused more trouble for the two of them.

"You're welcome?" She replied, not meaning to make it sound like a question.

Robin smiled, pausing for a minute as she glanced over the pantry shelves, then turned back towards the navigator.

"So, is there anything else you'd like to know before we head back?" She asked curiously, but Nami shook her head in response.

"No thanks, I've already got enough information to fuel my nightmares for months on end."

Robin chuckled, picking up two bottles before turning back towards the door. "Yeah, sorry about that. In our defence, we were trying to be discreet about it; after all, the gym is rather-"

"Enough." Nami pled, cutting Robin off before she could say any more. "Let's just go back to the others already..."


	31. Chapter 31: A couple's embrace

The girls were greeted heartily as they emerged from the storage room with a few bottles of varying liquors in each of their arms, and it didn't take long for the crew to unanimously agree on the decision to stay in the kitchen for a little while longer to have a drink, or five.

The rest of the evening went by in a lively fashion as Nami danced with Chopper, Luffy and Usopp, and Brook was, of course, providing the music along with Franky as the two performed a lively duet together.

Meanwhile Sanji, Robin and Zoro sat around the table, nursing their drinks as they watched the others, happy to sit out of the festivities and enjoy their drinks in peace.

However, once the alcohol had been drunk things eventually started to die down as they all began to feel too worn out to party any longer, and it was Usopp who suggested retiring to their rooms for the night.

Nami was the first to leave after finishing her final mug of sake, and, as she figured that her roommate would want to spend the night with Zoro, she didn't wait around for Robin as she headed straight up the stairs and into her room.

Not long after the navigator's departure the rest of the crew also followed, making their way out of the kitchen and to their own cabin, leaving Zoro and Robin alone on the deck.

A moment of silence passed as Zoro looked towards Robin, giving her a small smile as their eyes met.

He definitely wasn't the soppy type. After all, romantic love had always seemed like a useless concept to him, one that he viewed as nothing but a hindrance and something that could only lead to weakness.

He had laughed at the notion of strong and powerful men being brought down and defeated by their desires for female company. He had called those men weak-willed and spineless, and no woman had been able to change his view on that.

Until now.

Now he realised that loving her didn't make him any weaker, and that having a partner didn't mean he had to give up on his dreams either.

Instead having Robin by his side made him stronger in some ways, because now he had something else to fight for.

"So, the Library?" He asked, bringing himself back to the present as he wondered if the offer still stood from before, and she nodded in response

"Of course, I was just about to ask you the same thing." Robin replied, smiling happily as she took his hand in hers. "Let's go."

As the two made their way into the dimly lit room, Robin began to sort out the blankets and pillows on the floor while Zoro shut the door behind them.

There was a brief period of quiet, before Zoro came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her, holding her gently enough that she could still continue setting up their makeshift bed, but firm enough that she could feel the beating of his heart against her back.

She blushed in response, pausing as she leant back into him and allowed herself to melt into his embrace.

"Is everything okay?" She asked in a quiet hum, and he nodded, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Everything is perfect."

Robin chuckled at that and turned her head to the side, kissing her swordsman's cheek before going back to arranging the bedding.

Just as she finished placing the pillows she noticed that Zoro had already taken off his shirt and had climbed into the bed, and a playful giggle escaped her lips as she watched him stifle a yawn.

"Tired?" She asked as she removed the bandana from her neck and climbed in beside him, pulling the blanket over both of them as she cuddled into his side.

"Very." He replied with a drained half smile, before pulling her close and gently pressing his lips against her forehead. "This week has been exhausting."

"It has…" Robin agreed with another quiet sign of amusement as Zoro was unable to hold back the yawn for a second time.

She found it interesting how countless back-to-back fights with powerful enemies didn't affect the swordsman's stamina in the slightest, yet the chaos of the events that had happened over the past week had the man drained beyond belief.

"We can make up for lost time now though, since I don't think we'll need to be up early tomorrow." Robin pointed out as she studied Zoro's features, and he smirked in response.

He liked the idea of a lie in, and he gave a quite hum as he pulled his partner closer.

"I like the sound of that." Zoro replied lazily as he closed his eyes.

Robin continued to watch the swordsman as he spoke, but she was also beginning to feel her eyelids growing heavy, and although she hadn't been tired before, now she couldn't fight the overwhelming urge to sleep.

"Me too…" Robin whispered, kissing his jaw once before sinking down and cuddling into his chest, and he responded by running his fingers through her hair. "Good night Zoro…"

He loved how it sounded when she said his name.

"Mm… 'night..."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

The bright morning light shone through the window in the library, causing Robin to wake as it reached her eyes.

A quiet groan escaped her lips as she sat up and stretched her arms, but she felt a smile appear on her face as she realised that Zoro was still fast asleep beside her, looking handsome and peaceful as he lay there, his mess of green hair sticking up in all different directions as he rolled off his back and onto his side.

She still couldn't quite believe that it had turned out this way. Things finally felt so perfect.

Robin reached over to gently stroke the swordsman's hair, and as she did so he dazedly opened his eye, looking up at her with a small, crooked smile.

"Mornin'."

"Good Morning…" She replied, before removing her hand from his head. "I'm sorry that I woke you up, you just looked quite adorable and I couldn't resist."

"Hey, it was a better wake up call than I usually get in the guy's cabin." He replied, trying not to blush at the fact she had just called him adorable. "So don't worry about it."

He really needed to stop getting flustered by every comment she made, or he'd spend the rest of his life red in the face.

"So, how was your sleep anyway?" He added curiously, sitting up beside her and running his fingers through his hair to tame it.

"It was nice…" Robin replied with a smile, before climbing out of the bed and heading to the window. "What about you?"

"Yeah, mine was good too…" He responded, watching her as she made her way across the room.

As she opened the curtains fully, Zoro winced at the sudden surge of brightness that rapidly filled the library, and he let out an annoyed groan.

"Hey, about that lie in you promised…"

Robin giggled. "Haven't you had enough? It's almost midday already."

"Come on, not even a little bit longer?" Zoro asked, rolling back onto his side but this time facing away from the window in protest against the sun's rays.

"Well, alright." She caved, a small smirk appeared on her face as she closed the curtains back over and returned to the makeshift bed, climbing in beside the lazing swordsman. "But just for a little while."


	32. Chapter 32: Salvaged treasure

Their second wake up call came in the form of Luffy's loud shouting, which caused Zoro to groan and mutter under his breath.

" _I swear that I'll kill him one day if he doesn't learn how to shut up_."

"Uh huh, I guess that's all the rest we'll be getting…" Robin remarked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "We might as well go see what all the shouting's about."

"Yeah, I guess…" Zoro sighed, reaching over to grab his shirt from where he'd thrown it the night before. "But you know as well as I do that it'll be over something stupid."

"I didn't doubt that it would be for a second." Robin giggled in response as she pulled the covers off of herself and began to undress. "But I'm quite curious about what it is this time."

As he pulled the same white shirt over his head, Robin also got up and began to change into new clothes, putting on a deep blue turtleneck dress with orange shorts.

"Smart move." Zoro noted with a smile as robin pulled the high-necked garment on, once again concealing the marks that were left on her skin.

"I'm just glad I have a few outfits that can cover them, otherwise I think your bandana would have to become a permanent part of my wardrobe for about a week or two." Robin replied, smiling back as she reached for the door.

As the two walked outside, they noticed that their captain was stood atop the ship's taffrail, lifting something in the air triumphantly.

"Oi, Luffy, what have you got there?" Zoro curiously shouted over, not quite able to make out what it was that had gotten the captain so excited due to the fact his eyes were still adjusting to the bright light outside.

Upon hearing his first mate's voice, Luffy spun round with far too much enthusiasm and threw whatever it was he was holding towards him, and Zoro instinctively reached out to catch whatever the thing was, but as he looked at the thing in his hands he raised an eyebrow.

"Luffy, what _is_ this?"

The captain pouted, looked momentarily offended by Zoro's lack of excitement.

"It's treasure, _duhh_."

"No, Luffy. This is… Okay I don't know what this is, but it looks like junk."

"It's probably part of an old ship's figurehead…" Robin remarked as she looked at the item in Zoro's hands. "But time has not been kind to it by the looks of things."

"And it's an ugly one." Zoro muttered in response to Robin's comment as he observed the crooked eyes and grimacing expression on the carving's face. "What is it even meant to be anyway? A gargoyle?"

" _Hey_!" Luffy screeched. "Me and Usopp found this while casting for lunch! How dare you call our treasure ugly!"

" _Come on_ , just look at that thing! You can't tell me that you'd actually feel proud to have _that_ on the front of your ship! It's the ugliest thing I have ever seen." Zoro began, before pausing for a moment as he turned his attention to Sanji, who was busy fawning over Nami.

"Second ugliest."

"Oi!" Sanji shouted, as he somehow overheard Zoro's insult despite the distance that was between them.

"Anyway, where are you even going to put it?" Zoro asked, and Luffy paused for a minute as if he hadn't even thought that far ahead yet.

"I guess it'd look cool in our cabin? Ooh, I'll go ask Franky to hang it up!"

"I am _not_ sleeping with that freaky face watching me." He hissed, before letting out an annoyed sigh. "Can't you just like, sell it to some antique collector or something?"

But Nami shook her head, clearly also listening in on the conversation from where she was sat, which was still on the upper deck beside Sanji.

"That thing really is worthless. It was the first idea that came to my mind too when I heard Luffy cry out ' _treasure'_ , but when I had a look at it, I noticed how worn it is, and how ugly."

"Told you." Zoro muttered. "Not even a mother could love that face."

"Well _I_ love it, and it's staying with me." Luffy stated defensively as he held the broken figurehead to his chest.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

When he realised he was getting nowhere with the whole _Luffy's treasure_ situation, Zoro decided to drop it, and he watched with a defeated sigh as Franky and Luffy went into the guy's cabin to no doubt put up their new decoration.

' _Great.'_ Zoro thought to himself with a sigh. ' _Now I'll be waking up to two freaky looking faces when I sleep in there._ '

"I take it you'll be moving into the library a lot more often then?" Robin asked in a curious tone, noticing Zoro's annoyance with Luffy's choice of décor.

"Without a doubt." He replied as he leant against the side of the ship. "As if it hadn't been bad enough before now, Luffy always has to one-up himself. I think he _wants_ to drive me insane sometimes."

Robin giggled at that, and he paused for a second before turning to her. "So if I do move into the library, will you be joining me?"

"That's very forward of you, Zoro." She remarked with a smirk, causing his cheeks to redden yet again as she placed a hand on his arm and looked up at him flirtatiously. "Do you _want_ me to join you?"

"Well, yeah. I do." He replied, trying his best to sound composed as Robin giggled once more and leant in, kissing him softly.

"Good, because I want that too." She replied, and Zoro smiled as he pulled her in closer, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist.

However, the moment was swiftly interrupted when a familiar voice called out from behind them.

"Ew, get a room."

It was Nami, and she had a smug smile on her face as she observed the annoyed expression on Zoro's.

"That's what we were currently doing, actually, since I'll no longer be able to sleep in my own one without Luffy's new friend staring into my soul as I sleep." Zoro retorted, and the navigator rolled her eyes.

"Jeez, you can be a real drama queen sometimes. You're acting like this is the worst decision Luffy has ever made. Remember the Davy Back Fight?"

Zoro paused for a second. "Good point."

"Anyway, I came over here not just to interrupt your gross display of affection, but also to tell you that we'll all be doing one last trip in town later before we set off in the morning." Nami began, earning a look of confusion from Robin.

"Really? But I thought you wanted to stay for a little while longer and look for treasure?" Robin asked, recalling their last conversation regarding the matter.

But Nami shook her head sadly.

"Yeah, that was supposed to be the case, but me and Usopp looked into that and it turns out all the belongings of the old inhabitants were burned after they left, with people believing they were cursed and all."

"So I'm guessing that since there's no treasure here, you don't have any reason to stay?" Zoro asked, knowing fully well what Nami's motives were.

If there wasn't money involved, she wouldn't be interested.

"Of course not. There's far too much danger here with that creepy magician lurking about, and it's not like we'd even get anything if we stayed either, so it's best that we just move on."

"And does Luffy like that idea?" Robin asked, aware of their captain's reluctance to leave.

Convincing them to leave was one thing, as Robin, Zoro and the other crewmembers had no real attachment to the island, however Luffy was a whole different story, as he would be much more difficult to persuade.

"I just told him that if we prepare to depart the island now then I'll buy him a bento box in town." Nami answered, and Zoro let out an amused chuckle.

"That'll work."


	33. Chapter 33: This is the place

The crew were heading into the town together for the final time before their arranged departure to the next island, and after Nami's promise that she made to the captain earlier, Luffy followed close behind her, practically clinging onto the navigator as the nine of them walked through the busy streets.

"Bento, bento, bento!" Luffy cheered happily as they walked past a dozen or so stands with an array of delicious smelling foods on display, but Nami was quick to silence him.

"I will buy you a box in a minute, but first we need to find the essentials for the trip, so hang on, okay?" She scolded, and Luffy pouted in response.

"Okay…" He mumbled back, following the navigator in silence as they continued to venture further into the square.

Nami stopped everyone then, and after she had finished allocating shares of the money they decided to split into two groups based on what they wanted to get.

Nami and Luffy decided to search the outdoor market stalls that were set up around the town's courtyard along with Sanji, who was accompanying them both so that he could buy some more fresh ingredients before their departure from Genkaku island.

And that left the second group to continue onwards, which consisted of Franky, Brook, Robin, Zoro, Chopper and Usopp, who were more interested in the shops that were located quite a bit further north than the market.

"We'll meet up back here in an hour okay?" Nami called out to the other group as they began to walk away. "Just don't forget to barter! I don't want you paying any more than you have to."

"Don't worry about it, we'll try to get the prices down as much as we can." Franky replied as he and the remaining five crewmembers began to make their way towards the central shopping district. "See you guys later!"

*ロビン*ゾロ*

"What does she even expect me to be able to buy with this?" Zoro complained aloud as he counted up his share of the crew's money. "This isn't even enough for a new coating on just one of my swords, let alone all three."

"What did you expect from Nami? An equal share of the money?" Usopp asked as he walked beside the irritated swordsman. "You know fully well what her plan was; give you a deliberately useless amount of money so that you had to borrow some from her, and then she would happily loan it to you, for ten times interest."

Robin, who was stood on the other side of Zoro, gave a quite giggle as she listened in on the conversation.

"Yeah that sounds exactly like her." She added with a smile. "After all, Nami knows better than to share out money fairly."

"Tell me about it… I had to loan some from her so that I could afford a few new shelves for the medical room…" Chopper agreed as he strode beside Robin in his walk point form.

"How cruel…" Usopp tutted under his breath. "She even swindled the doctor. Does she have no shame?"

"Hey guys!" Franky called out, interrupting the group's chat as he and Brook stopped outside of a hardware store. "Sorry to put an end to the complaining, but I need to pick up some stuff for the Sunny, are you coming with?"

"I need some materials to build a new medicine cabinet, so I'll come!" Chopper replied, and Usopp nodded in agreement as he also made his way to the entrance of the shop.

"I guess I should come with you to barter the prices down, otherwise we'll barely be able to afford one plank of wood. Don't you worry though, I'm a master of persuasion."

"Yeah, sure you are buddy." Zoro chuckled from behind.

"I'll tag along too! There's nothing much I need really, so I'll just help you carry things back to the ship." Brook insisted, as he too joined Usopp and Chopper as they walked to the entrance of the shop. "I'll be the muscle of the group. Though, I guess I can't be since I don't actually have any muscles, yohoho!"

"And what about you two?" Franky asked, ignoring Brook's joke as he turned his attention to Robin and Zoro.

"Well actually, I was thinking of checking out if there are any local bladesmithing shops around here." Zoro replied, and Franky nodded.

"No problem, and Robin?"

"I think I should probably accompany Zoro and help him find it, will you guys be okay without me?" She replied, and Franky smirked as he caught on to Robin's subtle hint at the swordsman's terrible sense of direction.

"We'll be fine! How about we meet you both back at the market place in an hour?"

"Sure." Robin replied, smiling as she linked Zoro by the arm, taking the swordsman off guard and causing his cheeks to redden. "We'll head back that way once we're done."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

As the two pirates left the rest of the group and headed towards the quieter side of the shopping district, Robin let go of Zoro's arm, turning towards him with a curious look in her eyes.

"So what is it you need to get from a bladesmith? Doesn't your haki prevents your weapons from getting damaged?"

"Yeah, it does, but it doesn't hurt to make sure they're in the best condition possible. There's no way to know what we'll run into next after all, and I don't want to be sloppy when it comes to becoming the world's greatest swordsman." He replied, and Robin gave a single nod in response.

With the sentimental worth of his three katanas; Sandai Kitetsu, Shūsui and, most importantly, Wado Ichimonji, it made sense that Zoro wanted to take care of them regardless of his faith he had in his haki ability.

He truly was an interesting man, and Robin couldn't deny that it was one of the many qualities that she found deeply attractive about him.

"It probably won't take too long though, so if you want we could go grab a drink or two before we head back?" He offered, and Robin smiled, a faint blush appearing on her face as Zoro reached down and took hold of her hand.

"You should know that I won't turn down any offer that involves relaxing with a nice glass of wine; especially when it's coming from you." She chuckled in response and Zoro grinned smugly, leaning in closer.

"That's why I said it."

However, just as he learnt in to kiss her there was a sudden, shrill, scream which reverberated through the air, startling the couple and causing the swordsman to instinctively spring into action as he unsheathed his three katanas from their scabbards.

"Stand back." He uttered abruptly as he tried to locate the source of the sound, and Robin complied, moving out of his swords' reach as she too surveyed the area.

"Over there!" Robin shouted suddenly as she spotted through the slight fog that had begun to form the source of the cries, and she ran ahead of Zoro and towards a woman who was cowering with her back against one of the buildings while a man who Robin could only assume was the woman's partner leant over her protectively, his hands on her shoulders as he tried with little success to comfort her.

Without hesitation the swordsman followed his crewmate's lead, approaching the pair and crouching down so that he could speak clearly with the man who was visibly distressed.

"What happened?" Zoro asked, still on high alert as he kept his attention on his surroundings.

"I-I don't know…"The male stranger replied in a panicked voice as he continued to hold onto his partner helplessly. "She was just talking to that guy over there. I-I don't know him. We'd never met him before now, and I didn't hear what he said to her but as soon as he walked away she started shaking and screaming…"

"Oi, Woman. Are you hurt?" Zoro asked, cutting off the man's story as he turned his attention to the shaking female that was still recoiling away, as if hiding from some unknown threat.

"There's no use Zoro... I don't think she can't hear anything, or rather, I don't think anything that she is hearing is being processed." Robin noted as she reached out, gently placing a hand on her cheek. "She has a vacant look in her eyes, and it appears that she's not able to focus her attention on any of us."

"What could it be…?" The man asked desperately, but Robin bit her lip in response, not feeling very confident with her answer.

"Honestly, I don't know. All I can say is I don't think this is the result of a physical injury. It seems to me like she is experiencing some form of psychosis or delirium…"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Eh?"

"Her perception of everything around her is clouded and distorted. She's interpreting things differently to what they really are and may be seeing things that do not exist. Like a hallucination for example."

"A hallucination… Hey Robin, you don't think that-?" Zoro began, but before he could finish she placed a hand against his chest, silencing him as a familiar figure appeared in front of them.


	34. Chapter 34: One vison

As soon as Zoro noticed the presence of a threat he sprang up into action, taking up a defensive stance in front of Robin and the two strangers.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Robin asked as everything began to make sense. "This girl is under the influence of your devil fruit powers, and that's why she's acting the way she is. You're showing her an illusion."

The man that the two recognised as the magician gave a smug grin at that, shifting his attention away from the swordsman and towards her instead.

"Ahh, so you're familiar with who I am? Well in that case, we can skip the formal introductions and get right to the main performance."

"Cut the bullshit." Zoro snarled, maintaining his guarded stance so that he could be ready to attack at any time. "I don't know what you're trying to do here, but you're unlucky enough that we got here just in time to stop it."

"Oh? Confident are we?" The figure retorted back as his gaze returned to Zoro. "Though, you must be pretty ballsy, getting involved in a stranger's business like this. Ballsy but foolish."

Before Zoro could reply, Robin called out to him as another wave of realisation hit her.

"Zoro, the mist! That's what it is that's keeping her under his power!" Robin exclaimed as she realised the dense air that had been around them all this time had been the vessel needed for his devil fruit ability to take effect.

All that was left was the power of suggestion, and then all four of them would be in trouble.

"Take her away from here." Robin instructed the man beside her, eager to get them out of harm's way before things escalated further. "Once she's out of this air she'll be okay. Me and Zoro will make sure he can't go after you, so just try to get as far away here as you can."

The man nodded without hesitation, lifting the girl into his arms as gently as he could despite her attempts to force him away.

However, despite her resistance towards his touch he kept tight hold of her.

"Thank you-" He began to say, but Zoro cut him off before he could finish.

"Save all that for when you're actually out of this mess. Robin, go with them."

As Zoro spoke her name, she turned to face him, taken aback by his words.

She had expected to fight beside him. Did he really plan on challenging this guy all by himself?

"What? And leave you here to fight him alone?" Robin asked, the reluctance to leave obvious from her tone. "Zoro…"

"I can take this fraud of a magician. Go."

Robin exhaled quietly and nodded as she got up, looking first at the man and then to women in his arms.

Now was not the time to argue with Zoro about this. She needed to help them.

"Follow me."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

As Robin ran off, Zoro continued to block their path off from the magician.

"Why are you standing up for a bunch of fools who you don't even know?" He asked, as if unable to comprehend why the swordsman was challenging him. "You're pirates, correct? You don't even live on this island. So why protect them?"

Zoro chuffed, a small smirk appearing on his face. "I'm bored, that's all. I haven't had a fight in a while and seeing you use your cowardly devil fruit powers had me itching to cut you."

"Cowardly? I see." The magician laughed. "A big brute like you wouldn't understand the magnificence of it all, or the level of supremacy that comes with manipulating the mind."

"I've had enough of listening to you." Zoro shot back as he swung for the man in front of him, preparing to make a direct hit.

But just as the sword appeared to make contact with his chest, the magician disappeared into thin air, his silhouette replaced with that of smoke.

"You really are a fool." A voice whispered in his ear, causing Zoro to turn around rapidly and attack the air behind him.

However, just before he could land the hit on his target, the presence of the magician vanished once again, and so did his voice, which trailed off with the wind.

"What's with this pathetic game of hide and seek? You think you can win by just disappearing?" Zoro snarled in annoyance as he tried to locate him once again, but this time, using his observation haki to zone in on his aura.

"Don't underestimate me!" Zoro growled as he slashed towards the direction of the man's aura, but less than a millisecond before the attack hit, his aura changed location.

"Don't you underestimate me, boy. You're not the first haki user I've fought, and you won't be the last." The voice warned, switching locations once again. "I know how to confuse even the most grounded of men."

Zoro tried to fight the growing feeling of anger and instead focused on readying another attack, but just as he initiated the move a voice called out to him, halting him in his tracks.

"Zoro, watch out!"

Robin. She must have managed to get the two strangers away to safety and had now returned to join Zoro in battle. But despite hearing her voice, he couldn't actually see her.

"Where are you?" Zoro shouted back, unable to pinpoint her location in the small square around him.

He could just about sense her aura too, though much like the magician's it began to jump from location to location, never staying in one spot for too long.

"He's got you in his smoke. You need to find a way out of it, otherwise he'll continue to manipulate your mind." She shouted back, and it suddenly clicked.

So the enemy wasn't disappearing after all, and the versions of him that he kept seeing were fake; nothing but illusions.

"Three Swords Style; Black Rope Dragon Twister." Zoro called out as he slashed the air around him, embedding his swords with his armament haki in the process.

"where are you aiming? That's not even close to where I am." The magician scoffed confidently, but his smug demeanour faded as the swordsman grinned once again, staring directly at him.

"Oh, don't worry about my aim. I've already hit my target." Zoro replied, watching as his surroundings returned to normal, the cloud of smoke dissipating away. "And now that I know what your stupid smoke screen is capable of, I won't be falling for that same trick again."

He paused for a second, smirking at his enemy.

"Thanks Robin, I owe you one."

Robin smiled in response from behind him, crossing her arms across her chest as she readied her own attack on the man.

"Cien Fleur…" She began, but before she could perform a hold on the man she winced, a concentrated cloud of smoke surrounding her.

"Maybe you won't, but the same can't be said for your partner over there." He shot back at Zoro as he further deepened his hold on Robin's mind, distorting her perceptions more and more as each second went by.

"I wonder what she truly fears. Loneliness? Mockery? Betrayal perhaps?"

A confirming whimper came from Robin's lips, and the devil fruit user grinned.

"So that's it. She's scared of being cast aside. How adorable."

"You bastard, leave her out of this!" Zoro shouted back through gritted teeth as he rushed at him, katanas ready as he aimed for his throat.

At that moment Zoro knew what was going on in Robin's mind, and that caused him to see red as he slashed at the man in front of him.


	35. Chapter 35: Don't forget me

Zoro tried not to let his anger consume him as he concentrated on the directions of his blades and the location of his enemy.

He knew that any lapse in focus would allow the devil fruit user to hijack his mind once again, and if that happened, it'd all be over.

He continued to swing at the man in front of him, only missing his target due to the magician's heightened evasion skills and his ability to hide behind the haze he continued to emit.

Regardless of how many times Zoro cut through it with his haki, the smoke-filled clouds continued to reappear seconds later, cloaking the man with a shield of fog.

"This is a pain in the ass! Can you quit it with the constant stream of smoke already so I can dice you?!"

"I don't know what impression I gave you upon our brief introduction, but I'm not __that__ much of a gentleman. If you want to beat me, you'd better step up your game."

Zoro snarled in annoyance as he crossed his swords over his chest in preparation of his next attack, but a quiet yet pained cry from Robin stopped the swordsman short, preventing him from carrying out his next move.

She was knelt only a couple of yards away from the ongoing fight, and it was obvious that she was unable to defend herself from any physical or psychological attacks in her current state.

Noticing this, Zoro ceased his attack as he retreated to his crewmate's side.

He was never usually one to flee from a battle, but she __needed__ him, and there was nothing that he wouldn't do to keep her safe.

Without turning his back to the enemy Zoro picked her up, removing her from any immediate danger whilst also trying to bring her back to reality.

"Robin, come on, snap out of it!" He spoke, his voice low but with a hint of urgency in it as he supported the trembling woman in his arms. "You know that what he's showing you isn't real; you know he's just messing with your mind, so you need to snap out of it…"

He hadn't seen her anywhere near as scared as this since the event that had happened two years ago in Enis Lobby, and that hurt, knowing that this nobody in front of him was wounding her in a way that he couldn't prevent.

"Zoro…?" Robin muttered quietly, but it was clear that she wasn't hearing him, and that she wasn't even aware of his presence as he held her close.

Still holding onto his lover, Zoro looked up angrily, his eyes like a wild animal's as he glared at the devil fruit user that hadn't moved from his original spot.

And it was him who spoke first with an air of confidence around him, breaking the silence as he shrugged and leant back against the side of a building.

"You can continue to fight me if you want to, but just remember, I hold her sanity in the palm of my hands. So if you do plan on doing so, you'd better defeat me quickly, or I'll break her beyond repair." He goaded with a smirk, and as if to prove his point he clenched his fist, causing Robin let out an even louder cry.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

The world around her had gone blurry and any sense of time and space was lost.

Disoriented, Robin called out for the only person it made sense for her to call out for.

"Zoro..?"

No answer.

But hadn't she just been with him? Where could he have gone?

" _ _Come on Luffy, let's go before she realises that we've gone."__

That voice… A female voice that she was so used to hearing…

Nami?

 _"_ _ _Yeah, if she sees us it'll just be a hassle. It'll be better if we just go."__

And that voice was familiar too…

Usopp?

 _"_ _ _Well, I guess it would be better to just leave now while she's out, that way we don't have to come up with some excuse as to why we don't want her with us. I hate to lie to a lady, but this is for the best."__

Sanji?

What were they all talking about? Who were they leaving behind?

Robin's blood ran cold as she realised, and she braved a glance towards the ship that was now in full view.

As soon as her eyes landed on the Thousand Sunny she noticed Zoro was there, along with the seven over crewmembers, and what she saw confirmed her hunch as she watched them prepare to set sail.

But surely __he__ would tell them to wait for her right? After all they'd been through together…

 _"_ _ _Thank God that's all over. I never did trust that woman."__ The swordsman muttered to Franky as the two pulled up the anchor together. _"_ _ _She was just a burden to us this whole time, and a dangerous one at that."__

She felt her whole world crash down as he said those words, and she had to lean back against a tree as a wave of light-headedness began to flow over her and a feeling of nausea began to sink in.

She had expected this at the beginning of their travels; after all, it had happened countless times to her in the past, but nothing could have prepared her for the searing pain that she was feeling now.

The Strawhat crew had really meant something to her, each and every one of them meant something to her in their own way.

But now she was alone again, and this time feeling more fragile and heartbroken than ever before.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

"Robin… I won't let him hurt you any more, I promise." Zoro whispered to her, still holding out hope that she would hear him though the illusions and regain her senses despite his knowledge that that wouldn't happen while the devil fruit user was still breathing.

He hesitated for a second before gently lowering her out of his arms and placing her carefully against the base of one of the buildings.

"I'll be right back Robin, hang on." Zoro added finally, before leaving her side and stepping forward, preparing for battle.

"Finally; I was getting bored watching you and your girlfriend have your little moment back there. I do detest public displays of affection." He mocked, but Zoro ignored him as he placed Wado Ichimonji back between his teeth.

"My haki will protect me from your gimmicky devil fruit ability, but that won't be enough for her. I can't remove your power without kicking your ass, so I'll end this now. For Robin."

An amused laugh came in response to Zoro's statement, and the magician took a step forward.

"That's a very confident thing to say. Let's hope you can keep your word, otherwise her nightmare will only deepen with every slip up you make."


	36. Chapter 36: Right on time

A few more minutes passed and the battle continued on in full force, but Zoro was still unable to make a hit on the man in front of him despite being able to see through his tricks.

Sure, he could prevent himself from becoming victim to the illusions, but as long as the enemy could continue to make enough smoke to conceal himself behind, it was useless.

"If all you can do is slice my smoke away, then you'll never beat me." The magic man remarked with a grin as he disappeared once again into the haze that he created, before reappearing instantaneously behind the irked swordsman.

"We'll see about that; I just have to get my timing right and it'll all be over for you!" Zoro shouted back, not giving up as he turned around and performed a two-blade slash right where the magician was stood.

But despite the skilled move and the swordsman's precision being pretty much perfect, all he cut through was just another cloud of smoke as the man disappeared once again into thin air.

Zoro turned around once more, surveying the area for any trace of the man's aura, but before he could register the new location of his enemy there was an unexpected interruption that came from a balcony up above which brought the fight to a sudden halt.

"Hey, you Phony Wizard! You've messed with the wrong group of pirates~" A honeyed voice taunted, and as the two looked up, they noticed that on the third floor, leaning out of a window was the Strawhat crew's navigator, who was smirking down at the shocked pair who's battle she had just interrupted.

"What the hell?" Zoro yelled, clearly taken aback by her sudden arrival. "Nami?!"

"The one and only! Don't say I don't do anything for you guys." She replied smugly, before pointing her Clima Tact down towards the area below.

"Gust Sword!" She commanded in the same sweet tone she had used previously, and the weather around them began to shift suddenly, creating a large, powerful wind that began dispelling the smoke clouds and with it, the enemy's confidence.

Thanks to Nami's weather manipulation, the devil fruit user's power had been instantly neutralised, and as Robin began to recover from her temporary delirium she swiftly stood up and crossed her arms across her chest once more, ready to join her partner in battle.

"Nice!" Zoro grinned, feeling a lot more confident now that Robin was on her feet once again.

But despite the new turn of events, the man in front of them refused to back down, and he stepped forward for a second time, fixing his coat as he addressed the group of pirates.

"Don't be so confident. Just because that woman is stable again, doesn't mean you'll be able to beat me. Don't forget, you haven't landed a single hit on me this whole time."

"That may be true." The swordsman began with a smirk. "But now that Robin's back in action you're screwed big time. I have my full focus now, and she's not to be taken lightly either. Together the two of us will end you."

Robin blushed at his words of praise and smiled.

She was still feeling somewhat emotionally fragile after undergoing the illusion had been forced upon her, but seeing how much faith he had in her made her feel reassured that it was okay to trust him, and that he wouldn't leave her side again.

As the raven-haired woman secured her place beside the swordsman, another interruption came from above as a voice called down to them, once again interrupting the flow of the battle.

"Ehem." Nami reminded them, gently twirling her Clima Tact between her nimble fingers. "Who exactly helped you out of this situation?"

Zoro sighed and rolled his eyes at the navigator's comment, but for the sake of time he decided to just feed her already enlarged ego as he corrected himself.

"Right, of course. The three of us will end you."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Zoro launched forward at the man, and this time he was completely focused on his target.

The enemy's aura was much clearer now that he couldn't disguise it's location amidst layers upon layers of smoke, and the vice-captain didn't hesitate as he slashed at his target with a three sword style attack.

"Three hundred and sixty pound phoenix."

Barely able to escape from the rapidly incoming slashes, the devil fruit user fell to the ground, withdrawing slightly as he realised how powerful his opponent truly was.

Fortunately for the illusionist, his agility had enabled him to jump out of the way of Zoro's incoming attack in time to avoid most of the damage, but he certainly hadn't escape unharmed.

A stream of deep red liquid trickled down from the magician's right side and onto the floor, and he hissed as he met eyes with the pirate that had just cut him.

"Son of a bitch." He cursed, his overly confident demeanour having changed entirely as he analysed the swordsman. "You were really trying to kill me there, weren't you?"

Zoro was not a man prone to bluffing, especially when mad.

If that hit had made contact with him head on, he certainly would have had a lot more than just a bloody arm.

"Your pain is nothing compared to what you made Robin go though." Zoro replied in a gruff voice, his expression fixed on the man as he once again readied an attack. "I'd be letting you off lightly by killing you."

The anger inside of him was evident; however, Zoro didn't allow such rage to fuel him nor cause him to act reckless as he calculated his next move.

Meanwhile, Nami continued to watch from above as she maintained her hold on the weather, controlling the wind as to not let the illusionist have the upper hand once more, and Robin was on standby down below, prepared to help Zoro in any way if need be.

"Tiger hunt."

As Zoro unleased his second attack the enemy attempted to run between two buildings, clearly choosing to flee rather than stay and risk a gruesome slicing.

However, Robin responded quickly, stopping him with her extra set of arms as she restrained the man against the wall before he could slip away from the scene.

"My, you're quite slippery, aren't you?" She uttered, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"What the hell are you pirates even doing here?" The illusionist shot back, ignoring his capturer's remark as he scowled at her. "You have nothing to do with this island, and all your kind ever causes is trouble."

"You're calling us trouble? That's rich." Zoro spat, before leaning against a shop window. "We should be asking you the questions."


	37. Chapter 37: A hidden past

As Robin continued to restrain the magician with a dozen or so of her extra arms, Nami searched the nearby area for some kind of rope.

The raven-haired woman kept her focus on him in order to ensure he wouldn't try anything funny, but she couldn't help herself from uttering the question that had been on her mind since her crewmate's arrival at the scene.

"What were you doing all the way out here, Nami?" She asked as the navigator began looking down one of the alleyways.

It was a valid question. After all, as far as Robin knew she had been off shopping with Luffy and Sanji not too long ago, and she wasn't exactly the most efficient person when it came to shopping.

That's why her timely presence was suspicious to say the least.

A couple of seconds passed before Nami stopped searching, poking her head out from behind one of the walls with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, we decided to met up with the others after we'd finished buying food. They said that none of them had heard from either of you in a while and, well…"

She paused for a second as she disappeared once again, no doubt returning to the side street so that she could continue her search.

"We thought that Zoro might have gotten you both lost somewhere." She admitted, before reappearing with a reliable looking wad of cord.

"Oi." Zoro complained as he got up from where he was resting.

He had no doubt been listening in on Robin and Nami's conversation and had perked up upon hearing the mention of his name.

"I'll have you know, I know exactly where we are."

"Sure you do." Nami sighed, walking past him as she approached the disgruntled magician.

It only took a few seconds for the two women to tie up their enemy together, and after securing the knots to ensure there was no chance of escape, Robin took a step back and smiled once again.

"Now, I suggest that you tell us why you did what you did. At least that way you can delay Zoro's wrath for maybe another thirty seconds while you tell your story." Robin threatened in a calm and unaffected voice, and Zoro nodded once as if to back up her statement.

"However, that's only if we like your answer. Lie, and that time goes down to zero."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

As a result of the pirates' threat of further violence, the illusionist began to open up to his captors, though with an obvious reluctance in his voice as he did so.

"You don't understand what harm those degenerates have caused to this island." He spat venomously. "You defend them, but only because you haven't seen the damage that they've done."

"I take it you're referring to the residents of this town?" Robin asked, keeping her eyes on the defeated looking devil fruit user. "What have they done?"

"What have they done?" He echoed with a laugh, though it was one devoid of any humour. "Try mass executions of innocent people along with an attempt to cover up the existence of the rightful owners of this land."

Despite the clear venom in his tone, Robin continued, intrigued by his newly revealed motive.

"You have some relation to the members of the occult that once lived here?"

"What do you think?"

Not fond of the obnoxious manner in which he was speaking, Zoro placed a hand around the hilt of his katana.

"So this was your attempt at getting back at them for what their families did, is that it? An eye for an eye?" he asked accusingly. "You think that makes what you did any better?"

"I don't need to be told what's right by the likes of you." He spat back, glaring at the swordsman with a look of vengeance in his eyes.

But before Zoro could react, Robin rested her hand on his, reassuring him that she could handle the interrogation herself.

He paused for a second as he looked at her, responding with a single nod as he began to withdraw.

He could trust Robin with this.

"Can you tell us what you know about this island's history?" The archaeologist asked as she once again addressed the illusionist.

He stayed silent for a second, wondering why a group of pirates cared about such a thing, but eventually he met eyes with Robin and began to talk.

"I'm assuming you know that the previous inhabitants of this land before the current ones took part in the what you would call, witchcraft?" He asked, and she nodded. "Well my parents were the last generation to get persecuted for practicing magic. There's not many of our kind left, especially not here. Most of the members of my generation left Genkaku, but I stayed."

"And what about the festival?" Robin asked. "Is that not their way of paying respects to your ancestors and learning more about the history?"

"This island's tie to 'magic' is nothing more than a mockery. They treat magic like some sort of parlour trick, and make money from something they once killed over."

"Then why did you attend?"

He gritted his teeth and let out an irritated sigh, clearly not pleased with the amount of questions.

"So that I could test my devil fruit ability on the people of this island and see the constraints of my powers."

"So you've been planning this attack for a while."

"Indeed."

Zoro stood up then, ending the conversation between the two of them and catching Robin off guard.

"I've had enough of this lunatic thinking that his actions are righteous. I'm going back to the ship."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

As Zoro began to walk away, Robin turned to Nami, who had been sat nearby as she listened quietly to the man's speech.

"What should we do with him?" The archaeologist asked, also getting up from the crouched position she had been sat in, and the navigator paused for a few seconds, weighing up their options.

"I think we should tie him up and leave him for the Marines." Nami proposed. "I mean, he's too dangerous to let loose, especially now that he's told us of his plan to use psychological warfare on the entire island."

"That is true… At least if we do that then we don't have to make our own decision on what to do with him. Maybe we should leave it to the world government to decide his fate."

The two girls agreed on that and ignored their enemy's words of protests as they began to walk away, also heading back towards the ship.

"You know, we should probably go find Zoro. He shouldn't have strayed too far yet so we should be able to find him." Robin pointed out, and realisation hit as Nami realised that the man with no sense of direction had gone off on his own.

"Oh no. We've lost that damn idiot again!"


	38. Chapter 38: For eternity

After finally catching up with the wandering swordsman who had by some miracle managed to walk in a straight line, the small group of pirates headed back towards the ship to reunite with the others.

"Thanks for the help back there, Nami." Robin uttered with a smile as they entered the town centre once again, and she felt the sudden warmth of Zoro's hand against her own as he held onto her.

"It's no problem." The navigator replied modestly, before finishing her utterance with a much more Nami-like statement. "Though if you do want to thank me, I do take checks."

Zoro rolled his eyes at that but continued to stay silent, and Robin giggled in response.

"I'll keep that in mind."

The three continued on past the stalls that were being disassembled by the locals, and, knowing that Robin and Zoro would probably want to talk between themselves for a little while, Nami sauntered on ahead, making her way towards the direction of the shore.

As the distance between the navigator and the couple that lingered behind her increased, Zoro decided to finally break his silence.

"Are you alright?" He asked suddenly, causing Robin to look up at him.

With so much else going on, she hadn't really considered whether she was or not.

"Of course…" She began, brushing off the swordsman's question. However, upon seeing the concern on his face she realised that it really seemed to be playing on his mind.

"You're talking about what happened back there?" She added, and he nodded once.

"I will admit, it was scary at first. I didn't expect it to feel so real…"

Robin let out a quiet sigh as she paused for a second, and Zoro gently tightened his grip on her hand, providing her with the comfort he knew she needed.

"I was rather jarred by the experience, but I'm fine now." She continued. "I know what's real and what's not, and I know that I can trust my family with my insecurities."

Zoro smiled at that, leaning in closer to her as he spoke.

"I'm glad. I don't want you to ever doubt how much you mean to us." He began sincerely.

He wasn't normally a man of many words, but he wanted her to know that she was irreplaceable in his eyes.

"Besides, you should know by now that we're not letting you go that easily anyway."

"Well, I guess you're stuck with me then." She stated playfully, and he chuckled once as he briefly pressed his lips against her forehead.

"I can live with that. Out of all the people to be stuck on that ship with, you're definitely the least annoying." Zoro remarked, a smirk appearing on his face as he moved away.

Now it was Robin's turn to chuckle as she raised her eyebrows. "Oh, how sweet of you."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

Robin and Zoro caught up with Nami after finishing their conversation, and as three of them made their way back onto the Thousand Sunny they noticed that the crew were scattered around the main deck, awaiting their arrival.

"Here they are!" Franky called out cheerfully as he and Usopp worked together on some minor ship maintenance. "So did you guys find the swordsmith then?"

"Nah, we got side-tracked." Zoro stated as he boarded the ship and sat down, crossing his arms behind his head as he let out a yawn.

"Though, it wasn't because we got lost." Robin added, defending Zoro's dignity before the others could make that assumption that their unexplained disappearance was down to the swordsman lacking any sense of direction.

"We ran into a very familiar individual."

"A familiar individual?" Brook asked curiously. "Do tell, I'm all ears. Or, well, I would be all ears if I had any of course."

"That asshole magician was up to no good." Zoro added, signalling that he was still listening into the conversation despite his relaxed demeanour. "We found him terrorising some woman down one of the side streets."

Robin nodded, taking a seat on the bench near to where the swordsman was relaxing.

"He planned on getting revenge on the locals, but the three of us put a stop to that." She paused, smiling at Nami who was stood across from her. "Now he's the Marine's problem."

"So you left him?" Zoro asked, only now remembering that he left before they did.

Robin nodded once again.

"Nami and I thought it would be the best decision, given the fact the Marines will have a better method for dealing with terrorists like him."

"And the easiest for us too." Nami added. "I don't want to look at scum like him for any longer than necessary."

The rest of the crew remained quiet as they listened, and just as the two women finished explaining, Luffy stepped forward.

"Wait so the magician really was a bad guy all this time?" He asked with a pout, earning a sigh and an overexaggerated eye-roll from Nami.

However, before Nami could respond to the captain's naivety, there was a loud sound resonating from where the swordsman was resting.

"What was that for?!"

As the seven crewmembers looked over to the source of the noise, they noticed that Zoro had just about managed to deflect Sanji's leg as it swung for his head.

"You put both Nami and Robin in danger? You reckless shithead!" Sanji shouted back.

"Well now you've put yourself in danger." Zoro retorted. "So you'd better back off before I cut you in half!"

"Like you'd ever be able to land even a single hit on me. I'd like to see you try, Marimo."

Just as the two began to fight in their usual fashion, Robin decided to interject, causing a collection of extra hands to grow out of the wall to restrain the two bickering men.

"It's okay Sanji, we appreciate the concern but we're alright. Besides," She paused as she let her extra arms disappear. "Nami wasn't harmed. In fact, she saved us."

"Really? My beloved Nami is a hero~" Sanji chimed in response, and with that the fighting between the swordsman and the cook was over.

"What an idiot." Zoro sighed, before leaning back once again and continuing where he left of.


	39. Chapter 39: Modern love

"So what's next Nami?" Robin asked as she sat down beside the resting swordsman.

"Well, now that everything is sorted we can leave this island at any time. We have no more business here and we've got all of the supplies that we need." Nami informed the others whilst checking the log pose attached to her arm, noting the direction of the needle which shook calmly and rhythmically as it pointed out to sea.

"Yeah, and I suggest that we leave sooner rather than later." Usopp added as he finished the last of the maintenance along with the shipwright. "The last thing we need is to have a run in with the marines when they come to collect the gift that you left for them."

As he put down the mallet and looked up at the navigator, he noticed the smile on her face and felt a sense of relief as he realised what it meant.

The fact that Nami was in high spirits signalled that their next voyage was unlikely to be a dangerous one at least.

"Well, the log pose is pointed north, so I guess we'll be going that way." The red head responded, before their captain joined in, cutting her off from saying anything more.

"Onto the next island!"

Following Luffy's command, Brook and Chopper went to weigh the anchor, and Usopp to unfurl the sails.

"If we're leaving then I'll go start dinner." Sanji declared, ignoring Luffy as he perked up even more at the mention of food. "Now that the fridge has been restocked I can make a banquet."

"What about booze?" Zoro asked, suddenly becoming a lot more involved in the conversation.

"Asshole, go get your own alcohol! I'm not your waiter!" Sanji shot back, before regaining his train of thought. "Oh, and Franky, can you switch the lock on the fridge? Food has been going missing like crazy, so I think the one we're using right now must be faulty."

"The lock's broke?" Franky asked sceptically as he got up and made his way into the kitchen. "It shouldn't have, it's a pretty sturdy type, but sure, I'll go switch it out now."

"Wait, what? No! Sanji!" Luffy panicked, but before he could say anything more Nami grabbed him by the cheek, pulling him away from the chef.

"Hey, I don't think that's a good idea. If Sanji finds out it was you stealing the food all this time, he might end up serving rubber-man steaks for lunch instead. Not to mention he'll want to know how you got the key, and I don't want you getting me into any unnecessary trouble." She pointed out in a hushed tone, still holding a hand over the captain's mouth as she spoke.

"But Nami, my unlimited fridge access…" He whined in a muffled response. "You promised me unlimited fridge access."

"I promised to give you the key, and I upheld my promise. You're the one who got caught."

*ロビン*ゾロ*

As Sanji and Franky disappeared into the kitchen and Luffy continued to sulk on the main deck, Zoro turned his head to the woman sat beside him, stifling a yawn as he spoke.

"So, you got any plans for the rest of the day?" He asked as he sat up and ran his fingers through his hair, and Robin smiled, shaking her head in response.

"Not as of yet, no. I might go tend to the flowers later but it's not urgent. I'll probably just read a book or something in the meantime."

"Ah…" Zoro began, trailing off before finally continuing with his offer. "Well, if you've got nothing else you'd rather do, we could go up to my training room for a little while."

"You're thinking of training? After what happened today?" She asked curiously, wondering how the swordsman had any energy left after such a drawn-out encounter.

But Zoro had a small, playful smile on his face as she spoke, and he paused for a second as he stood up.

"I didn't say anything about training."

Robin blushed in response to his comment, immediately realising what it was that was on the swordsman's mind.

"Oh." She uttered, a small smirk appearing on her face as she too got up from where she was sat. "Well, I guess my book can wait for a little while."

And with that the two hastily made their way up to Zoro's training room, trying to avoid the suspicious glances of the other crew members as they did so.

Most of them would probably view their transition to the upstairs area of the ship as relatively innocent, but Nami was a different case all together.

She'd definitely know what was going on if she caught them.

But regardless the two managed to make it up there without being caught, and as Zoro shut the entrance to the room, Robin began to get undressed.

"I must say, I'm impressed by your endurance." She began as she unzipped her jacket and placed it onto the bench beside her. "I would imagine that after the events of today the last thing on your mind would be- ah…"

Before she could finish she felt the warm sensation of lips pressing against the base of her neck, which caused a pleasing shiver to flow down her spine.

As a quiet gasp escaped her lips, Zoro smirked once more, wrapping his arms around the archaeologist's waist as he held her close.

"If anything, being with you relaxes me." He replied as his hands moved down to undo her skirt, and Robin felt her cheeks flushing once more as she leant back into his embrace.

"That's a feeling I know all too well…" She agreed as he removed the cloth from her hips, dropping it to the floor.

She turned around then, pulling away from her partner's grasp as she pressed her lips against his, reaching for the bottom of his shirt with two hands while an extra pair worked on removing his pants.

That devil fruit ability of hers sure was practical.

As she removed the final pieces of clothing from the both of them, Zoro took charge, pinning Robin against the wall as he kissed her fiercely.

But there was more than just raw lust in his kiss; there was longing, and above all, love.

The two had just transitioned to the floor to continue with their activities when the door swung open, and as they stopped and looked over, they saw a familiar head pop into the room.

"What the hell?!" Zoro shouted, climbing off Robin as she swiftly reached for the swordsman's green coat in a rapid attempt to cover herself.

"So this is where you guys went!" The captain said with an innocent grin. "I've been looking for you both for ages! Sanji said that food's ready!"

Zoro wasn't so quick as to grab a piece of clothing, so he instead resorted to using his hands to preserve his modesty.

Sure, the guys had seen each other naked before, but this was different.

"For the love of God, learn how to knock!" Zoro shouted once more, his whole body taking on a deep shade of red as embarrassment flooded over him.

"Huh? What's wrong? And why are you both naked?" Luffy asked, once again revealing his complete innocence regarding adult matters.

"Luffy! Just get out!"


	40. Chapter 40: Fever

After eventually managing to get the captain out of the training room, Zoro let out an annoyed sigh.

"I hope that Luffy's stupid enough to not know what he saw." He uttered miserably, and Robin giggled in response to that as she got up to retrieve her discarded pieces of clothing which were now scattered across the room.

"He may not know what it was, but if he tells the others I'm sure they'll catch on pretty quickly." She replied, before handing Zoro the coat that she had used as a makeshift cover.

He groaned in response to that, taking his coat from her before rubbing his forehead with his forefinger and thumb as he muttered, almost incoherently, "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of.".

Once dressed, Robin wrapped her arm's around the swordsman's neck, swiftly planting a small kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can convince him it was nothing before he spreads the word. And if not, at least you'll have one up on Sanji."

Zoro laughed at that, returning the kiss before getting up and retrieving his own clothes.

"I guess it's not all bad then." He chuckled as he pulled up his pants. "It would be pretty amusing, seeing the stupid love-cook's reaction to that news."

"I hope you're prepared for your second fight of the day." Robin replied, taking a seat on the bench as she waited for the swordsman to finish getting dressed.

"Pfft, I could beat him with one arm tied behind my back." Zoro dismissed before pulling his shirt over his head and reaching for his coat. "Now let's get this over with."

As the two made their way down to the kitchen, Zoro turned to Robin, who was just closing the door to the training room as she made her way down the ladder.

"So, about what just happened…" He hedged, still feeling a ridiculous amount of embarrassment regarding the situation. "Do you want to… Urm…"

Realising the swordsman's hesitation, Robin stopped for a brief moment and smiled.

"We can continue from where we left off later if you'd like." She offered, stepping down onto the ground below.

"Yeah…" Zoro replied, the blush still very obvious as it continued to take over the entirety of his face and neck. "Once Luffy's gone to sleep or something."

The annoyance in his tone was still evident, and that caused Robin to giggle once more, but before the two could say anything more on the topic they heard the familiar ruckus that was the Strawhat crew gathering for dinner.

*ロビン*ゾロ*

"There you are! We've been waiting for you both!" Nami scolded as the two entered the kitchen together. "Where the hell have you been?"

Zoro shot Luffy a side glance then, but it was clear that the captain hadn't mentioned anything about what he had seen.

Thank god.

"If it wasn't for my precious Robin we'd have started eating without you. Goddamn Marimo, making us wait around." Sanji muttered as he plated up the meal. "I hope you like your food cold."

"Sorry we're late, thank you for waiting for us everyone." Robin uttered with a smile as she took a seat in one of the empty chairs, and Zoro followed, grabbing a bottle of beer from the store room before settling down at the table.

"It's no problem Robin, my sweetheart~!" Sanji chimed back, suddenly forgetting about his anger over his rival's lateness as he doted over the archaeologist.

"Zoro, are you okay? You don't look so good…" Chopper noted as he watched the man sat opposite him, concern in his voice. "I hope you're not getting a fever, are you aching anywhere?"

"Eh? What do you mean?" Zoro asked as he stopped pouring his drink and looked up at the ship's doctor. "I feel fine."

"But your skin, it's bright red…"

"O-Oh, that." Zoro almost choked. "I was training, and it was hot up there."

"Training?" Luffy asked, interrupting the conversation between the reindeer and the swordsman. "I've never seen you train like that before. Though I guess if you were too hot it does explain why you were both naked."

"Luffy!" Zoro spat through gritted teeth, almost dropping the stein glass onto the floor in the process.

But it was too late now; the room was full of expressions ranging from horrified to amused.

"Oh my." Brook added with a chuckle as he took a sip of tea, breaking the horribly uncomfortable silence that lingered in the kitchen. "Well this is awkward isn't it?

Awkward didn't begin to explain it, and even Robin felt herself shying away in embarrassment over the situation at hand.

"You did what?" Sanji exploded as he sent a murderous glare towards the swordsman. "You disgusting brute, how dare you taint Robin's purity like that!"

"What are you rambling on about you idiot? She's my girlfriend. If you didn't expect something like that to happen sooner or later than shame on you for being so naïve." Zoro responded unapologetically, before taking a large gulp of beer.

The mention of the word 'girlfriend' caused Robin to blush even deeper, but upon realising that now was probably the least appropriate time to get flustered over such things, she stayed quiet and reached for her now tepid cup of coffee.

"Still! In broad daylight? For shame." Nami added on from where Sanji left off, shaking her head slowly. "And to make matters worse, Luffy had to witness it!"

Luffy on the other hand, didn't understand the reason for Sanji's rage nor Nami's disgust, and he raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I don't get it, what's the problem?"

To the embarrassed couple's relief, everyone turned their attention towards the captain now, who was sat innocently, chomping down on a forkful of steak.

Another wave of silence followed, with no one else knowing quite how to respond to that.

"Do we tell him?" Franky whispered to Nami, who shook her head and sighed.

"No, the poor guy's just too dense. Leave him be."


End file.
